General Surgery Work-Life Balance: What Doctors Actually Say
Real insights from 167 verified General Surgery physicians about their work-life balance, career satisfaction, and daily reality.
Verified Physician Data||SalaryDr Research Team
3.9/5
Avg Satisfaction
84%
Would Choose Again
167
Physician Responses
66
Avg Hours/Week
📋 Key Takeaways: General Surgery Lifestyle at a Glance
- •Career Satisfaction: General Surgery physicians report 3.9/5 average satisfaction, with 84% saying they would choose the specialty again.
- •Work Hours: The average General Surgery physician works 66 hours per week.
- •Experience Level: Insights based on physicians with an average of 8 years of experience.
- •Data Source: Based on 167 verified, anonymous physician submissions to SalaryDr.
💚What Do General Surgery Physicians Love About Their Job?
"Best part is research, teaching, clinic variety"— General Surgery Physician
"Non-traditional schedules and good pay are out there if you are willing to move to less desirable geographies. "— General Surgery Physician
"Surgery is a job where you will always be on the hook for complications for your patients no matter if you are “off” or on vacation. If you don’t want to answer the phone you have to pay someone else to take the calls for you or have nice partners."— General Surgery Resident
"Call is horrible. U usually have 2-5 cases added on top of elective "— General Surgery Physician
"Very chaotic schedule "— General Surgery Physician
"(Bariatric surgeon here, I don’t do general surgery). Less call: Currently take the majority of the bariatric call per month. Compensated 700/shift for anything over 10 calls a month. "— General Surgery Physician
"Call is brutal and we're overworked. Private practice so health insurance/retirement etc all comes out of our compensation."— General Surgery Physician