Good surgeon: A search for meaning
Andrey L. Akopov1, Dmitri Y. Artioukh2
1Department of Thoracic Surgery, Pavlov State Medical University, St. Petersburg, Russia
2Department of Surgery, Southport and Ormskirk Hospital, Southport, United Kingdom
Abstract
The art and philosophy of surgery are not as often discussed as scientific discoveries and technological advances in the modern era of surgery. Although these are difficult to teach and pass on to the next generations of surgeons they are no less important for training good surgeons and maintaining their high standards. The authors of this review and opinion article tried to define what being a good surgeon really means and to look into the subject by analysing the essential conditions for being a good surgeon and the qualities that such a specialist should possess. In addition to a strong theoretic knowledge and practical skills and among the several described professional and personal characteristics, a good surgeon is expected to have common sense. It enables a surgeon to make a sound practical judgment independent of specialized medical knowledge and training. The possible ways of developing and/or enhancing common sense during surgical training and subsequent practice require separate analysis.
Keywords: Common sense, good surgeon, meaning, training
Cite this paper as: Akopov AL, Artioukh DY. Good surgeon: A search for meaning. Turk J Surg 2017; 33(2): 49-50
Externally peer-reviewed.
Concept - A.L.A., D.Y.A.; Design - A.L.A., D.Y.A.; Supervision - A.L.A., D.Y.A.; Literature Search - A.L.A., D.Y.A.; Writing Manuscript - D.Y.A.; Critical Reviews - A.L.A., D.Y.A.
No conflict of interest was declared by the authors.
The authors declared that this study has received no financial support.
D.Y.A. is grateful to his surgical trainee, Miss Andrea R. Sheel, whose participation in the discussions about the qualities of a good surgeon helped to shape this article.