Slice of life

Personal characteristics

Some colleagues perceive transplant surgeons to be workaholics who barely see the light of day. Although transplant surgeons do require stamina and the ability to work hard, you do not need to be Superman or Superwoman. You need to be attracted to “big” surgery--long operations on sick patients requiring intensive support services. You must be committed, analytical, and have excellent communication skills. An interest in immunology is an advantage.

Transplant surgery is one of the most “medical” of surgical specialties--you need a good working knowledge of medicine, infectious diseases, and pharmacology. The shortage of donor organs means that you have to come to terms with making potential life or death decisions regarding who is put on the transplant operation waiting list. Most importantly, it is essential that you are comfortable working in a multidisciplinary environment where decisions are made collectively.

The job

A career in transplant surgery will not give you uninterrupted sleep and lots of private work, but it will provide you with a unique combination of intellectual and surgical demands (box 2).