General Surgery

Training path

1. College (bachelor’s degree) 4 years
2. Medical school (MD or DO) 4 years
3. General surgery residency 5 years

Training after medical school: 5 years. From the start of college: about 13 years.

Many general surgeons add a fellowship.

Usual minimum program lengths from ACGME program requirements. Some doctors take extra research years or a second fellowship.

Who they are

• MD (DOs make up the rest) 90%
• Women 28%
• Graduated 35 or more years ago 19%
• Offer telehealth 13%
• Accept Medicare’s approved amount 96%

Sex and credentials from NPPES. Graduation year, telehealth and Medicare assignment from Medicare Care Compare, which covers clinicians enrolled in Medicare.

What they do most for Medicare patients

• Established patient office or other outpatient visit, 20-29 minutes 681,552
• Subsequent hospital care with moderate levelof medical decision making, if using time, at least 35 minutes 536,497
• Established patient office or other outpatient visit, 30-39 minutes 432,737
• New patient office or other outpatient visit, 45-59 minutes 306,259
• New patient office or other outpatient visit, 30-44 minutes 249,437
• Initial hospital care with straightforward or low-level medical decision making, if using time, at least 55 minutes 231,078
• Subsequent hospital care with straightforward or low level of medical decision making, per day, if using time, at least 25 minutes 229,870
• Removal of skin and tissue, 20.0 sq cm or less 213,624
• Subsequent hospital care with moderate levelof medical decision making, if using time, at least 50 minutes 178,146
• Subsequent nursing facility care with straightforward level of medical decision making, per day, if using time, at least 15 minutes 177,454
• Established patient office or other outpatient visit, 10-19 minutes 171,951
• Initial hospital care with moderate level of medical decision making, if using time, at least 75 minutes 164,271

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Services billed to traditional Medicare in 2023 (Physician and Other Practitioners data); drugs given in the office are left out.

What they prescribe most

• Hydrocodone/Acetaminophen (Hydrocodone-Acetaminophen) 10.2%
• Oxycodone Hcl (Oxycontin, Roxicodone, Roxybond) 7.1%
• Pantoprazole Sodium (Protonix Iv, Protonix) 5.8%
• Oxycodone Hcl/Acetaminophen (Endocet, Oxycodone-Acetaminophen, Percocet) 4.8%
• Omeprazole 4.5%
• Tramadol Hcl 4.0%
• Peg3350/Sod Sulf,bicarb,cl/Kcl (Gavilyte-C, Golytely, Gavilyte-G) 2.4%
• Ondansetron 2.3%
• Ibuprofen (Caldolor, Ibu) 2.1%
• Ondansetron Hcl 2.0%
• Famotidine (Pepcid) 1.9%
• Gabapentin (Gralise, Neurontin) 1.8%
• Sucralfate (Carafate) 1.6%
• Levothyroxine Sodium (Euthyrox, Levo-T, Ermeza) 1.5%
• Clopidogrel Bisulfate (Clopidogrel, Plavix) 1.5%

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Share of this specialty’s Medicare Part D prescriptions in 2024, including refills. Select a drug to see which of these clinicians prescribe it most, and where.

Hospitals where the most work

• Cleveland Clinic Cleveland, OH 111 General Surgery at Cleveland Clinic
• Carolinas Medical Center/behav Health Charlotte, NC 93 General Surgery at Carolinas Medical Center/behav Health
• Adventhealth Orlando Orlando, FL 89 General Surgery at Adventhealth Orlando
• NYU Langone Hospitals New York, NY 86 General Surgery at NYU Langone Hospitals
• Brigham and Women's Hospital Boston, MA 85 General Surgery at Brigham and Women's Hospital
• North Shore University Hospital Manhasset, NY 79 General Surgery at North Shore University Hospital
• New York-Presbyterian Hospital New York, NY 78 General Surgery at New York-Presbyterian Hospital
• Hospital of Univ of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA 77 General Surgery at Hospital of Univ of Pennsylvania
• Massachusetts General Hospital Boston, MA 74 General Surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital
• Indiana University Health Indianapolis, IN 73 General Surgery at Indiana University Health

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Clinicians who list the hospital in Medicare Care Compare. The number opens the list of who works there.

Schools they graduated from most

• Indiana University School of Medicine 252
• Wayne State University School of Medicine 247
• University of Kansas School of Med (kc/wich/sal) 209
• Temple University School of Medicine 207
• University of Minnesota Medical School 204
• Ohio State University College of Medicine 197
• Medical College of Georgia School of Medicine 196
• New York Medical College 195
• University of Alabama School of Medicine 193
• Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine 189

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From Medicare Care Compare (Medicare-enrolled clinicians only).