Surgery

General surgery residents work an average of 75 hours a week

Get the details on AMA-exclusive data from 3,000 residents and fellows on “time spend” among physicians in training.

Residency Life

Thriving in Residency

How to become a general surgeon?

A general surgeon has principal expertise in the diagnosis and care of patients with diseases and disorders affecting the abdomen, digestive tract, endocrine system, breast, skin, and blood vessels. A general surgeon is also trained in the treatment of patients who are injured or critically ill, and in the care of pediatric and cancer patients.

Visit Specialty Guide

Graphic of a med school student transitioning into a physician.

Jul 15, 2026 ·

4 Min Read

3 siblings, 3 specialties: 1 family's insight on physician career paths

Drs. Niki, Avani and Shiv Patel all pursued careers in medicine, but their specialty choice decisions were shaped by following their unique passions.

Shaminy Manoranjithan, MD

Shaminy Manoranjithan, MD, a vascular surgery resident at Corewell Health/Michigan State University, serves as the Resident & Fellow Section representative to the Women Physicians Section for the 2026-2028 term.

Women Physicians

Figure stands in front of arrows pointing in different directions

Jul 1, 2026 ·

Applying to multiple specialties—how common is it in the Match?

Are you dual applying, or applying to three or more specialties? You will have more legwork to do, but it might not boost your chances of a Match.

"Shadow Me" Specialty Series

As a medical student, do you ever wonder what it's like in a particular specialty? Shadowing a doctor offers valuable insights to help determine whether a career in certain specialty is a good fit for you. Meet featured physicians in the AMA’s  “Shadow Me” Specialty Series, which offers advice directly from physicians about life in their specialties.

Shadow a Surgeon

Graphic of figure holding the hand of its shadow

Jun 23, 2026 ·

“Promotion in Place” could be the biggest change to GME in years

After experience at two residency programs, this time-variable, competency-based model is rolling out a nationwide pilot in general surgery training.

Improve GME

Jun 22, 2026 ·

10 Min Read

Physician leadership is changing. Here’s what it takes.

Future physician leaders need more than management tracks. They need time, mentorship and authority to help redesign care.

Career Development

Health System Spotlight

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Jun 17, 2026 ·

4 Min Read

Here’s how many residency programs medical students really apply to

How many applications are typical among physician residency applicants? The number is going to depend largely on specialty and applicant type.

Find HOD Specialty Societies

HOD Specialty Societies

The House of Delegates (HOD) is the legislative and policy-making body of the American Medical Association. State medical associations and national medical specialty societies are represented in the HOD along with AMA sections, national societies such as AMWA, AOA and the NMA, professional interest medical associations, and the federal services, including the Public Health Service.

Jun 12, 2026 ·

9 Min Read

How program signals affect Match odds in competitive specialties

For residency applicants, signals are associated with better chances of matching. How does their potency change across physician specialties?

Jun 10, 2026 ·

How medical students view the residency-selection research race

A survey of medical students found research projects aren’t always residency-interview fodder, but most think scholarly output affected their Match Day.