MightyRecruiterA surgeon conducts operations on patients. Most surgeons specialize in a specific type of surgery, such as heart, bone or brain, but some are general surgeons. Surgeons work with other physicians to coordinate patient care and create treatment plans. They also meet with patients for pre-surgery consultations and for follow-up appointments.
In your surgeon job description, you will want to highlight the education and licensing requirements. Note that surgeons should have excellent manual dexterity, an attention to detail and the ability to work for long periods without rest.
It is important to make it clear that surgeons will also hold office hours along with conducting operations, so the right candidate should have excellent communication and people skills. As you begin to create your surgeon job description, take a look at the following example for guidance.
Surgeon Job Summary
We are a physician-led, multi-facility health organization looking for a skilled general surgeon. If you have a proven track record and solid educational and training background, you may be the perfect fit for this position. We offer state-of-the-art facilities and equipment, along with a highly-trained support staff to enable you to offer patients the best possible care. The position may require long work hours, including emergency on-call requirements. In return for your commitment, we offer you competitive wages and a comprehensive benefits package. This includes covering your costs for insurance and continuing education or other necessary training. This position also comes with the benefit of an established patient base and guaranteed referrals.
Job Responsibilities
- Assess patients through testing and physical exams for their readiness for surgery, and analyze patients’ history and current medical status to determine the right treatment needs and to plan the surgical procedure
- Explain procedures to patients, including recovery and any follow-up care that will be needed
- Follow all universal precautions to ensure the safety of patients, other staff and yourself during any contact with patients and while in the operating room
- Lead surgical team during operations following standard operating procedures
- Conduct safety reviews before, during and after the procedure to ensure nothing has been overlooked and that patient safety is maintained at all times
- Commit to providing excellent care by adhering to all hospital policies, guidelines and requirements in regard to patient care
- Maintain an upstanding reputation in the community, including participation in any hospital fundraising or community events whenever possible to help build the facility’s reputation in the local area
- Participate in teaching and mentorship if asked by administration
Job Skills & Qualifications
Reqiured:
- Must hold a Doctor of Medicine
- Board certification in general surgery
- Previous experience in patient care and surgery
- Residency in general surgery
- Medical license in the state
- Must be able to pass all background checks
Preferred:
- Experience in private practice
- Vascular surgery skills
Surgeon Job Responsibilities
A well-written surgeon job responsibilities section is pivotal so you can have applicants of the highest quality vying for the open position. A study in the Wall Street Journal showed that improving the wording and syntax of job descriptions increased not only the number of jobseekers but also the number of high-quality applicants.
As regards to how you write the description, you want to start each sentence with a powerful action verb so the jobseekers can actually picture themselves doing what you require of them upon receiving the position. You will want to place all this in a bulleted list so that applicants can quickly decide if this job would fit them or not. This is the meatiest part of the surgeon job description, so you want to be thorough, but do not overwhelm applicants with a prolonged list of responsibilities.
Here are some examples of responsibilities you could put in the surgeon job description:
- Meet with patients and record their medical history
- Operate on injuries, deformities or other diseases
- Work individually or as a team to diagnose conditions and create a plan to treat the conditions
- Participate in conferences to review new studies in the medical field that could benefit patients
Surgeon Job Specifications
You wouldn’t want an unqualified surgeon to operate on you, so why would you even consider hiring an unqualified surgeon? The job qualifications and skills section of the surgeon job description ensures you receive applications from the most suitable jobseekers who have the experience and certifications you require. You must carefully write this section so there is no confusion as to what you expect in employees in order for underqualified applicants to move on while perfectly qualified applicants take the time to apply.
Surgeons are constantly learning, with the subject matter varying depending on what experience in the medical field they have. For different types of surgeons, some qualifications are completely necessary while others are merely a preference. You ought to break up the qualifications and skills section in the surgeon job description into “required” and “preferred” lists to guarantee you have the best applicants competing for the job.
What follows are possible surgeon job specifications you could include for you own job description:
- Required to have at least MD or OD degree
- Minimum five years in residency program
- Capable of taking initiative in high-stress situations
- Strong interpersonal skills to be able to communicate effectively with patients, patients’ families and colleagues
