If you want your career as a physician to be fast-paced, challenging, and immensely rewarding, you might want to consider becoming a trauma surgeon. Trauma surgeons work, at times, in emergency situations, treating critically ill and injured patients.

You’ve likely seen them depicted on TV shows and in movies, but what is a career as a trauma surgeon really like, and what does it take to become one? We asked St. George’s University School of Medicine alum Dr. Peter Santoro, section chief of general surgery, director of robotic surgery at ChristianaCare, and medical director of The Hernia Center at ChristianaCare in Wilmington, DE.

What does a trauma surgeon do?

A trauma surgeon treats a hospital’s most critically ill and injured patients. For this reason, they may also be referred to as critical care or acute care surgeons.

Some of the types of conditions a trauma surgeon may treat include:

• Blunt force injuries
• Multi-organ failure
• Severe burns
• Respiratory failure
• Sepsis

“Trauma surgery is fast paced, and highly stressful. However, it is also an immensely rewarding sub-specialty within general surgery,” says Dr. Santoro. “Days may be spent treating and operating on critically injured patients, taking care of severely ill patients in the Surgical ICU, or possibly doing emergent general surgical cases.”

How do I become a trauma surgeon?

The knowledge required to perform the work of a trauma surgeon is extensive, which means the path to becoming one is long but well worth it.

After receiving your bachelor’s degree, the first step is to attend a medical school that provides the hands-on training necessary to prepare you for residency. Ideally, you’ll want to select a medical school that offers clinical electives in general surgery and trauma surgery. St. George’s University, for example, has a variety of electives within the 75+ hospitals and health systems in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom that offer clinical and ambulatory training and support to their students. These educational experiences will contribute to your ability to solve the often-complicated cases you’ll encounter when focusing on trauma surgery.

Once you’ve reached the end of your medical education, it’s time for residency! While you might think you would pursue a trauma surgery residency, you can actually expect to apply for residencies in general surgery. Trauma surgery is a specialty of general surgery, and as a general surgery resident, you’ll continue gaining the foundational skills needed to later specialize in trauma surgery.

Much of your time spent as a surgery resident will be treating trauma and/or critically ill patients. Ideally, if you are interested in a career in trauma surgery, your residency will be at a Level 1 trauma center. After completing residency, you’ll need to move on to a fellowship program specializing in trauma or critical care, which can vary from one to two years.

Overall, a minimum of 13 years of education is necessary to prepare you for a career as a trauma surgeon.

While becoming a trauma surgeon is not quick nor easy, it’s worth all the effort.

“Surgeons who do trauma/critical care are highly regarded within the hospital and by the communities they serve,” Dr. Santoro adds. “They deal with the worst of the worst injuries, and the sickest patients. Although the field requires long hours at times, and can be difficult, taking care of these patients is both humbling and gratifying.”

Your first step to getting started is to find the right medical school for your career goals. Find out how St. George’s University School of Medicine can support you on your journey to becoming a doctor.

You can also explore other specialities and what they do with our Ultimate List of Medical Specialties and Subspecialties post.