How many years of postgraduate training do surgical residents undergo?

Once medical school has been successfully completed the graduate school experience begins in the form of a residency, which focuses on a particular medical specialty. Residencies can last from three to seven years, with surgical residencies lasting a minimum of five years.

Surgical Specialty	Length of Residency Training
General Surgery	Five years
Thoracic Surgery	General surgery training plus two additional years
Colon and Rectal Surgery	General surgery training plus one additional year completing a colon and rectal surgery residency
Obstetrics and Gynecology	Four years: Three years entirely in obstetrics and gynecology, plus one elective year
Gynecologic Oncology	Four years in an Obstetrics and Gynecology residency training program plus a minimum of 2-3 years in gynecological oncology
Neurological Surgery	One year of general surgery training plus five years of neurological surgery training
Ophthalmic Surgery	One year of patient care in one of the following: internal medicine, pediatrics, general surgery, emergency medicine, neurology, or family practice; followed by three years in ophthalmology
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery	A four-year graduate degree in dentistry plus a minimum of four years in a general surgery training program
Orthopaedic Surgery	One year in a broadly-based, patient-related program, plus four in orthopaedic surgery
Otolaryngology	One year of general surgery training plus three years of otolaryngology, followed by one year of elective training
Pediatric Surgery	General surgery training plus two years of full-time education in an approved pediatric surgery fellowship program
Plastic and Maxillofacial Surgery	Three years of preparatory surgery training plus two years of plastic surgery training. Many physicians add an additional six to 12 months of training for a particular field of interest
Urology	Two years of general surgery training plus a minimum of three years, but usually four years, in urology
Vascular Surgery	General surgery training plus one to two years of training in the specialty of vascular surgery