Is it possible to be a surgeon and still have a social life?

Of course it is. Be aware, however, that a woman with an education is frightening to some men, despite the advances women have made in the workforce and elsewhere over the past fifty years. What that means is, you'll have a smaller pool of eligible bachelors from which to choose a mate. You'll likely find yourself dating your fellow professionals - and be aware there are as many "playas" amongst them! Do NOT give up on your goals for the sake of a social life. There's more to life, and humankind desperately needs skilled, caring surgeons far more than someone who's good at schmoozin' and boozin' and slinking around in pearls and curls. They're called "bimbos" and we've quite enough of those. Women with confidence and class are rare - I sincerely hope you're one of them!

I'm not a surgeon, but I work with them. I took the smarter route, and became an anesthesiologist. We still get the fun of playing in the OR all day, but without the office hours and endless rounds. The surgeons I know have social lives, but they paid their dues during training. You have to do what you love, and if you find that you love surgery (and you cannot know this until you are in your third year of medical school and living it), then you will do what it takes to become one. I married a very understanding man who is not in medicine, and we have 3 kids and a great life (no dogs, though. Just horses, cats and a bunny). Pretty much all surgeons take call, but if you get in a large enough group, that can be shared. Ophthalmologists don't get called in a lot, but there is debate as to whether they are real surgeons or not (that's a joke, sort of). Orthopedics get called in A LOT, as do general surgeons and trauma surgeons. Your surgical subspecialty is something you will choose in medical school or during residency. Again, you'll have to do what you love. Consider anesthesiology :) My last call was in December 2001.

Surgery is very difficult to have the above mentioned list. It's a very demanding specialty and has less tolerance for scheduling changes, being pregnant, etc.... I suppose you could do this, if you waited having a family after a lot of your training was complete... which takes about 14 years (4 yrs college, 4 yrs medical school, about 6 yrs of training for surgery..) Good luck! However, if you find a very understanding hubby, this would be VERY helpful... unfortunately, most men aren't like this, so this may prove difficult.

you'll have all the things u mentioned but dont expect to spend tons of nights chillin in bars and stuff

Yes its possible but u have to remember that being any kind of surgeons is very hard work....Good Luck to u!!! :)

After 4 years of medical school, 5 years of residency, when you get no sleep, and 2 more years of subspecialty like plastic surgery, you are expected to be on call for surgical emergencies 24/7. It is a rare breed of person who can still find time to find a husband, kids, and 3 dogs. Try urology or plastic surgery. Then you may have a social life.

Become a surgeon. You'll have to work hard and probably take a lot of crap, but as you mature and become more experienced you will be given more responsability. with this responsability you will advance (as long as you perform well) and soon you will find a way to delegate some responsabilities to a newer surgeon and free up time to spend all the great money that you make....and so the cycle will go on. This is how it is from plumbers to architects to ironworkers to surgeons.

Don't go into medicine at all. Even if you can have a family and social life, you will have to put it off for many years while you do medical school, residency, and possibly fellowship. Instead of having a life, you will be often treated like crap and you will be accumulating debt. You will graduate to a life of falling salary, increasing law suits, middle-of-the-night emergencies, and a society that values basketball players more than doctors. Did you know that Medicare will be cutting reimbursements 5% annually every year until 2012?

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