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.

Note: Visit each certifying board website for the most updated information on training schedules.

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

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