What is a transplant surgeon and how to become one

A transplant surgeon is a surgeon that specializes in organ transplants. Transplant surgeons are superheroes that are able to conduct life-saving operations that are often hours and hours long. However, they do not spend all of their time in the operating room.

Before an operation, transplant surgeons meet extensively with patients and their loved ones to go over their medical history and explain the procedures. They examine the compatibility of donors and recipients extensively in order to prevent a transplant failure. Some transplant surgeons specialize in particular organs, such as heart transplants; others are multi-organ transplant surgeons. Whatever their specialty, transplant surgeons need steady hands and a cool head.

Transplant surgeons are extremely well-paid, earning an average salary of $261,733 a year. However, the lucrative paycheck only comes after over a decade of preparations.

First, transplant surgeons need to get a bachelor's degree and a diploma from medical school. They complete a general residency just like any other prospective doctor, but then they need to complete an additional three years of a transplant surgery fellowship. Only then can they become certified transplant surgeons.