"Surgery is the ultimate curative therapy for many patients and is an essential part of modern medicine. It is a career of constant excitement, high energy, quick decisions, and intellectual stimulation. No day is the same as the one before, and you learn to expect the unexpected. It is extremely gratifying to see the immediate results of your actions: the changes you make in your patients' anatomy and in the quality of their lives. Whether you are interested in performing open-heart surgery or repairing perforated peptic ulcers, you must first go through rigorous training in general surgery-the foundation and entry point for all areas of this branch of medicine. Some continue to practice as general surgeons; others move on to advanced training and become surgical subspecialists like cardiothoracic, pediatric, or vascular surgeons" (Freeman, p. 213).

-- Freeman, B. (2004). The Ultimate Guide to Choosing a Medical Specialty. Lange Medical Books/McGraw-Hill: New York.