How much does surgical residency cost?

Asked by: Mrs. Tyra Kozey III  |  Last update: May 9, 2025
Score: 4.7/5 (69 votes)

This national survey of US allopathic medical school senior applicants for the 2019-2020 cycle found that expenses associated with applying to OS, NS, UR, PS, and OTO surgical residencies were substantial and ranged from more than $7,000 to more than $11,000.

How much does medical residency cost?

Overall, they calculated that the total per-resident minimum instructional and program- specific administrative costs (excluding resident salary and benefits) ranged from $26,197 (large, in- patient intensive programs) to $58,025 (small, outpatient intensive programs) annually.

How much do surgeons make out of residency?

Residency Salary by Residency Year

Residency salary increases for each year of residency training. The AAMC notes that the average Year 1 salary is $58,921 while the average Year 8 salary is $77,543. This is a 32% increase over 8 years, with an average yearly salary increase of 3%.

What is the dropout rate for surgery residency?

Attrition within surgical training is a challenge, in the USA, attrition rates are as high as 20–26% [1, 2]. It is a priority to retain surgical residents to meet the increasing healthcare demand and to reduce the significant costs associated with attrition.

Do we have to pay fees for residency in the USA?

If you are immigrating to the United States as a lawful permanent resident, you must pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee online unless you meet one of the exemptions below. We use this fee to process your immigrant visa packet and produce your Permanent Resident Card (commonly known as a Green Card).

Can international medical graduates (IMGs) get into surgical residency in the US?

33 related questions found

How much does it cost to become a surgeon?

The average total cost of medical school is $238,420. The average yearly cost of medical school is $59,605. Total costs vary by institution type and location, ranging from $167,476 (in-state, public school) to $275,068 (out-of-state, private school).

Do med students pay for residency?

Students must pay to study and graduate from medical school just like any other university program. However, residents who have graduated from medical school and practice medicine alongside a senior physician in a residency (GME) program are paid.

What is the hardest surgery residency to get into?

While competition levels can vary, plastic surgery often ranks as the most competitive medical specialty. Entering plastic surgery can be exceptionally challenging due to the need for both surgical skill and aesthetic judgment, combined with a limited number of available training positions.

Which surgeon has the shortest residency?

Unlike cardiothoracic and plastic, vascular surgery integrated residency is typically 5 years. If choosing to complete a general surgery residency first, the independent training is then 2 years, making it the shortest residency of all integrated surgery specialties.

What percentage of doctors make it through residency?

Retention rates range from 27.2% in Wyoming to 77.7% in California.

Do surgeons make 500k a year?

Salary Trends by Surgical Specialty

Orthopedic Surgeons: Orthopedic surgeons are among the highest-paid surgeons, with average salaries ranging from $500,000 to $700,000 annually.

Which residency pays the most?

Choose high-paying specialties

Specialties like orthopedic surgery, cardiology, radiology, and plastic surgery are known for offering higher salaries during residency. These fields often require additional years of training and expertise, which justifies the higher pay.

How many hours do surgeons work after residency?

Surgeons and Their Demanding Schedule

They can work up to 60 hours per week, with many additional hours spent on-call for emergencies. Their workweek involves intense patient care and high-stakes surgical procedures, which can be mentally and physically exhausting.

What is the average age after medical residency?

Combine that with an average starting age of 24 (or 26 for DO – Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine – applicants), and this means the vast majority of medical students don't start working as fully licensed doctors until their early 30s.

Do chief residents get paid more?

In many (but not all) cases, chief residents earn a slightly higher salary than the rest of the residents in their program. The AAMC found that around 71% of residency programs pay chief residents a higher stipend than the rest of the residents in the program.

How many hours a day is medical residency?

While the average American works roughly 35 hours weekly, medical residents can work up to 80 hours a week. For some residents, working more than 20 hours in a single shift is common. While this means fewer days working, it can lead affect sleep patterns and lead to exhaustion.

What is the hardest surgeon to become?

What is the hardest surgeon to be? It's difficult to become any type of surgeon, but if you want to equate “longest” with “hardest,” then the answer is neurological surgery, which has a seven-year residency—the longest of all postgraduate surgical residencies. It is (often) brain surgery, after all.

How old are most resident surgeons?

According to the responses, the training of surgical residents starts between the ages of 24 and 30 (average age 26.5). The training period varies between 5 and 10 years (average 6 years). The average age of a surgeon, at the time of appointment to a definite position in a hospital, is 36.8 (age range 30–45).

What is the least paying surgeon?

The report found that orthopedic specialists were the highest paid specialty on average last year, with average annual earnings of $558,000, followed by plastic surgery at $536,000. Meanwhile, the lowest paid specialty last year was diabetes and endocrinology, with average annual earnings of $256,000.

Can you fail surgical residency?

General surgery and surgical subspecialty residents account for nearly 19% of US medical residents; however, it is well known that many surgical residents fail to graduate from their residency training program.

What is the most sought after residency?

The top 10 most competitive residency programs in 2023 are:
  • Plastic Surgery.
  • Dermatology.
  • Neurosurgery.
  • Orthopedic Surgery.
  • Otolaryngology.
  • Interventional Radiology.
  • Vascular Surgery.
  • Thoracic & Cardiac Surgery.

What is the highest paying surgical residency?

Earnings vary by specialty. Orthopedic surgery residents average $60,700 a year, general surgery residents make $61,000 a year, residents in plastic surgery and aesthetic medicine make $65,600, and specialized surgery residents have an average annual salary of $65,700.

What percent of med students don t get a residency?

Around five percent of US allopathic medical school graduates do not match anywhere. If you receive notification on the Monday of Match Week that you didn't end up matching, however, you're not completely out of options.

Do you make money while in residency?

The Baseline: Do You Get Paid During Residency? The short answer is, yes, you do. Medical residents receive a salary for their work, which reflects the increasing knowledge, responsibility, and call frequency required with progressing years of residency.

Do doctors pay student loans in residency?

Medical residents may choose to postpone payment on their federal student loans during residency with a mandatory residency forbearance. The servicer is required to grant this forbearance if a borrower requests it.