On average, Australian surgeons work 56 hours every day in their full-time shifts. During those times, they perform surgeries, visit their patients, lead consultations, and conduct research.
Surgeons are indeed one of the most productive people now. But because of their exhausting work, surgeons are prone to burnout. This extended and unrelieved stress and anxiety can push them to depression, conflicts, addiction, and suicide.
For this reason, surgeons value every minute they have left outside their hospital shifts. They take advantage of those moments to bond with their family, exercise and unwind from the stressful jobs they have.
In this article, you will learn which surgeons work the least hours.
Plastic surgeons
The skillset of plastic surgeons includes modifying or reconstructing body parts based on the patient’s needs or preferences. They are also famous for performing cosmetic surgeries that help patients meet current beauty standards.
Plastic surgeons consistently belong with specialists that experience the least burnout. Most of their scheduled surgeries are elective procedures set as appointments, so they have more control over their work schedule.
They also enjoy high salaries. Plastic surgeons can earn up to $522,000 every year.
Surgical oncologists
Surgical treatment is still crucial for most types of cancer. Through procedures, surgical oncologists can take out cancerous tissue and tumours. They also perform biopsies, surgical diagnoses, and rehabilitation for cancer patients.
Surgical oncologists also help relieve the pain that cancer patients experience through palliative operations.
Given the nature of the work, surgical oncologists schedule the treatments ahead of time. These specialists also encounter patients they already know, so they go to work knowing what to expect.
These factors make them work for fewer hours compared to their colleagues.
Surgical oncologists, on average, can receive $478,000.
Ophthalmic surgeons
Ophthalmic surgeons perform eye surgery. They surgically treat cataracts (damage in the optic lens), glaucoma (a disease in the optic nerve), refractive errors (such as astigmatism, myopia, and hyperopia), and many more.
Considering how common eye problems are, ophthalmic surgeons are in demand. But their operations take a shorter time compared to procedures in other specialties.
For example, laser-assisted in situ keratomileuses (LASIK) surgeries only take around ten minutes per eye. This technology helps correct refractive errors so that the patients will no longer need eyeglasses and contact lenses.
The annual salary of Australian ophthalmic surgeons can reach $385,000.
Otorhinolaryngologist surgeons
Otorhinolaryngologist surgeons operate on a patient’s head, neck, ears, nose, and throat. Because of this, they can surgically treat allergies, injuries, and disorders in these parts of the body. The surgeries they conduct include:
- Tonsillectomy, the surgical removal of the tonsils;
- Sinus surgery, which treats inflammation of the sinuses;
- Laryngoscopy, the examination of the throat; and,
- Endocrine Surgery, the surgical treatment of the glands on the neck.
These procedures are relatively shorter than the surgeries handled in other specialities. Because of this, otorhinolaryngologist surgeons can leave after their hospital shifts (unless there are emergencies, of course).
Otorhinolaryngologist surgeons can have annual salaries as high as $445,000.