Surgeon in 1785: Hunter's ligation for aneurysm

Do you need to go to medical school to become a surgeon? Yes, everywhere in the world. Unlike many skilled trades, surgery has no informal apprenticeship route: it requires a full medical degree, followed by several years of supervised surgical residency and often a subspecialty fellowship, before a hospital will credential someone to operate independently. There has been no shortcut, historically or today, since anesthesia and antisepsis made formal training the only safe path.

How long does it take to become a surgeon? Roughly thirteen to sixteen years after secondary school in most countries: an undergraduate degree, medical school, a surgical residency of five to seven years, and often a one- to three-year fellowship in a subspecialty. Countries with direct-entry medical degrees, like the UK and Australia, shorten the front end but keep a similarly long residency and specialty-training tail.

What is the difference between a surgeon and a physician? A physician diagnoses and treats disease mainly through medication and non-invasive care; a surgeon treats disease and injury by operating — physically repairing, removing or reconstructing tissue. Every surgeon completes the same foundational medical training as a physician before specializing into operative practice, which is why a fully qualified UK surgeon is addressed as "Mr" or "Ms," not "Dr."