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General Surgery is the core specialty of surgery and involves broad knowledge and clinical procedural skills. It involves anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology, investigation, differential diagnosis, infection control, and surgical and non-surgical management. It covers breast surgery, gastrointestinal surgery and colorectal surgery, surgical oncology, and transplantation, among others. General surgery involves the abdominal cavity and its walls, the inguinoscrotal region, the external genitalia and the urogenital tract. It looks at managing patients with trauma and emergency conditions, with sepsis and/or who are critically ill, as well as providing specialist services for patients with congenital or acquired disorders. It involves a wide range of surgical techniques and competencies and an awareness of the benefits and limitations of each procedure. General Surgery services involve multidisciplinary care, therapies, follow up, and palliative care.

General Surgery Jobs

General Surgeons are highly trained in the medical and surgical care of patients who present to hospitals and clinics with a range of emergency general surgery conditions, or elective conditions. They are often the first person confronted with managing the acutely ill or injured patient, where early investigation and complex surgical care is required. They can diagnose conditions, undertake complex surgical procedures, prescribe medications, and manage peri-operative patient care. They provide clinical leadership, and work in a multidisciplinary team to ensure standards of practice and quality patient care, such as maintenance of accurate medical records, hygiene in the operating room, prescription of appropriate medicines, pain relief and anesthesia, management of emergency conditions, collaboration with other surgical or medical specialties, and coordination of follow up and ongoing care. To pursue a career in general surgery, doctors complete foundation training and core surgical training, followed by stage 2 and 3 training in General Surgery, which takes approximately 6 years and leads to certification and entry onto the specialist register. At this senior level, General Surgeons are responsible for managing out-patient clinics, the unselected emergency take, and the care of in-patients. They train registrars and often have other education, research, or management responsibilities.

Registrars (General and Specialty Surgery – General Surgery) are registered doctors who have completed their medical degree, foundation and core training. They can apply for specialty registrar positions, or positions at ST3+ level, and broaden and refine their scope of practice and gain experience, skills and competency in their chosen area of medicine. Registrars are very important members of the integrated and multi-disciplinary health care team. They have increasing responsibility for patient care, oversee and support junior doctors and staff, participate in professional development activities and continue to receive important guidance, training, and support from senior staff. Registrars who are undertaking posts in General Surgery work under general surgeons/specialist surgeon consultants. They develop procedural skills, surgical techniques, and clinical expertise in providing medical care, including surgical and non-surgical management, of patients with emergency or elective general surgery conditions.