Study surgery abroad

Surgery program structure

To become a surgeon, you’ll first need to complete an undergraduate medical degree. These programs usually require between five and six years of study. They’re most commonly offered as an MB (bachelor of medicine) or MBBS (bachelor of medicine and bachelor of surgery).

After graduating as a junior doctor, you’ll need to complete several additional years of training. This will involve a two-year foundation training program, a two-year core surgical training (CST) course, and up to 10 years’ worth of specialist training in your chosen area of interest.

If you’re keen to engage in pioneering surgical research alongside your clinical training, you can opt to study a postgraduate qualification. MSc or master of surgery (MSurg) degrees are typically offered as a two-year part-time program so that students can schedule their learning around their work commitments.

PhDs in surgery are also available. These programs usually require around five years of laboratory-based research.

You’ll be taught through a variety of methods, including lectures, laboratory practicals, workshops, and clinical exercises. The exact content of surgery programs will vary slightly from university to university, but you’ll probably address these core modules:

• Basic surgical skills
• Surgical health principles
• Medical ethics
• Surgical technology procedures
• Common surgical conditions
• Organ transplantation
• Assessment and management of the surgical patient
• Surgical care of the pediatric patient