As chief general surgery resident at Western Reserve Hospital in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, Ray Harron Jr., D.O., has learned that the specialty is not for everyone. But for physicians who like seeing results quickly — and who don’t mind the potentially long hours — the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM) Class of 2019 graduate said general surgery is an ideal career path.
“On most mornings, I’m in the hospital by 5:30 or 5:45. Rounding is done by 6:30. Cases start at 7:30 and they go until the work is done. I’m usually at the hospital until 5, 6 or sometimes 7 at night, and if I’m on call on the weekend, it’s for a 14-day stint,” Harron said. “It’s a challenging specialty, but when you take out an appendix or an inflamed gallbladder, the patient feels better almost immediately. You can see within hours that it worked, and I enjoy that.”
The son of a D.O. neurosurgeon and a D.O. neurologist, both of whom earned their medical degrees from WVSOM, Harron, who was born in Warren, Mich., and grew up in Roanoke, Va., was introduced to surgery at an exceptionally young age.
“I vividly remember scrubbing in and rounding with my dad as a 5- or 6-year-old in the days when you could still do that,” he said. “I always had medicine in the back of my mind and I knew I was going to be a science major.”
As a student at Virginia’s University of Richmond, Harron received a Bachelor of Science degree in biology before attending WVSOM. He initially hoped to become a cardiologist, but the more time he spent with his father in the operating room, the more he was drawn to general surgery.
“I started to hang out with my dad more when we had breaks, and I found that I liked the camaraderie in the OR. I liked that you’ve got multiple team members — anesthesia, surgery, nursing — all working together to fix a problem,” he said.
After completing his medical degree, Harron was selected for a residency spot at Western Reserve Hospital, a small facility that partners with other area hospitals for certain surgical procedures. In his time as a resident, Harron has performed procedures such as abdominal surgeries, thoracotomies and craniotomies. He explained that general surgery requires a five-year residency, but physicians who want to further specialize can pursue training through fellowships.
“General surgery is an excellent path if you have multiple surgical interests. What most hospitals are comfortable with a general surgeon treating is abdominal pathology,” Harron said. “But if you find that you have a particular interest as you move through residency, there are fellowship options that allow you to focus on specific types of surgeries.”
Harron said general surgery residency programs are difficult to get into — his team at Western Reserve Hospital received about 700 applications for two residency spots for the upcoming year, for example. But he said there are steps medical students can take to make their applications stand out.
“Besides your third-year surgical rotations, you should try to shadow as much as possible in your free time, and do research that is surgery-related. Today’s programs tend to look at your research, your board scores and your audition rotations,” Harron said.
That last qualification, especially, can make or break a student’s chances for landing a residency. At the end of the day, he said, people want to work with somebody who’s coachable, willing to work and easy to get along with.
“I would never claim to be at the top of my class or to have had the best board scores, but I’m approachable, I treat people with respect and dignity, and I’m a team player,” he said. “When I went on my audition rotation, the attending physicians and residents liked me, and that made me one of their top choices.”
Despite the hectic lifestyle that can accompany being a general surgeon, Harron said the rewards ultimately outweigh the sacrifices.
“I love being able to fix acute problems. It’s humbling and it’s a privilege. That’s why surgery is better than anything else,” he said. “Don’t get me wrong: I complain as much as anybody about getting up at 5 in the morning for the 20th straight day. But when it comes down to it, I wouldn’t choose anything else. I find something new in my job every day.”