Physician & Surgical Specialties$480,000 - $680,000+

Pediatric Surgeon

The ultra-specialized surgeon who operates on tiny neonates, infants, and children with complex congenital anomalies, tumors, and trauma.

Min Degree

Doctorate

Years Post-HS

15 Years

Patient Contact

Continuous Bedside

Setting

Children's Hospital Operating Theaters, Level IV Neonatal ICUs

The PrePro Hidden Gem Factor

Saves decades of life in a single morning. A successfully repaired diaphragmatic hernia or neonatal bowel obstruction gives an infant an entire 80-year healthy life.

Clinical Role Overview

Pediatric surgery is widely recognized as one of the most competitive surgical fields in medicine. Operating on premature infants weighing less than 2 pounds requires microscopic dexterity, specialized instruments, and flawless surgical instinct to correct life-threatening birth defects.

A Day in the Life (Hospital Shift Chronology)

06:30 - Pre-op rounds in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)

07:30 - Emergency thoracoscopic repair of esophageal atresia with tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF) in a newborn

11:00 - Laparoscopic pyloromyotomy for hypertrophic pyloric stenosis in a 4-week-old infant

14:00 - Resection of a retroperitoneal neuroblastoma tumor in a 3-year-old child

17:00 - Bedside ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation) surgical cannulation for respiratory failure

Core Clinical Tools & Hardware

Micro-surgical Fine Instruments
Pediatric Laparoscopic & Thoracoscopic Towers
Operating Loupes & Microscope
ECMO Cannulation Trays

Educational Prerequisites

4-Year Pre-Med Bachelor's
4-Year Medical School (MD or DO)
5-Year General Surgery Residency
2-Year Pediatric Surgery Fellowship (Extremely competitive: ~40 spots/year in US)
Board Certification in General Surgery & Pediatric Surgery