Aspiring pediatric surgeons must complete a four-year bachelor's degree program in a scientific field or premedicine. They then must complete four years of medical school. To get into medical school, students usually must submit transcripts, Medical College Admission Test scores and letters of recommendation, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Liaison Committee on Medical Education accredits medical school programs.
Medical school classes cover topics such as anatomy, biochemistry, pharmacology, physiology, pathology and medical ethics. Students also study psychology, medical law, taking medical histories, examining patients and diagnosing illnesses. They then work under the supervision of experienced physicians in hospitals and clinics.
Students then must complete five years of postgraduate general surgical residency training. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education is responsible for accrediting post-MD medical training programs, according to Baylor College of Medicine in Texas. Next, individuals must enter a two-year pediatric surgery residency. A pediatric surgery residency further allows students to gain hands-on training in this field at children's hospitals and even time in a neonatal intensive care unit. Training to become a pediatric surgeon basically includes 15 years of education--eight years of schooling and seven years of surgical residency training.
Pediatric surgeon training programs give students the opportunity to specialize in areas such as child oncology, neonatal/prenatal surgery and children's disorders. Students learn how to address trauma in children and repair birth defects. These programs also prepare students to collaborate with pediatricians, neonatal specialists and family physicians to determine the best treatment for a child, as well as to communicate with the child's family to ensure the child's safety.
Surgeons practicing in the United States must pass the U.S. Medical Licensing Examination after graduating from an accredited medical school. Five years of postgraduate general surgical residency training then prepares a surgeon to pass an examination that allows him to be board-certified in general surgery by the American Board of Medical Specialists. After completing the two-year pediatric surgery residency, students then can take a written exam in this area as well. When a student passes this exam, he earns a certificate in pediatric surgery from the American Board of Pediatrics. Pediatric surgeons also must be recertified every 10 years.
Employment for physicians and surgeons, including pediatric surgeons, is projected to increase 22 percent from 2008 to 2018, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The average salary for pediatric surgeons in 2010 was $151,000, according to Indeed.com.