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
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Length of Residency Training
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General Surgery
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Five years
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Thoracic Surgery
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General surgery training plus two additional years
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Colon and Rectal Surgery
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General surgery training plus one additional year completing a colon and rectal surgery residency
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Obstetrics and Gynecology
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Four years: Three years entirely in obstetrics and gynecology, plus one elective year
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Gynecologic Oncology
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Four years in an Obstetrics and Gynecology residency training program plus a minimum of 2-3 years in gynecological oncology
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Neurological Surgery
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One year of general surgery training plus five years of neurological surgery training
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Ophthalmic Surgery
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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
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Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
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A four-year graduate degree in dentistry plus a minimum of four years in a general surgery training program
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Orthopaedic Surgery
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One year in a broadly-based, patient-related program, plus four in orthopaedic surgery
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Otolaryngology
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One year of general surgery training plus three years of otolaryngology, followed by one year of elective training
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Pediatric Surgery
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General surgery training plus two years of full-time education in an approved pediatric surgery fellowship program
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Plastic and Maxillofacial Surgery
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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
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Urology
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Two years of general surgery training plus a minimum of three years, but usually four years, in urology
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Vascular Surgery
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General surgery training plus one to two years of training in the specialty of vascular surgery
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