Do you have to be good at math to be a surgeon?

Answer 1

Yes, and it depends on what kind of surgeon. If you were to say become a neurosurgeon, you will need math to calculate the diameter of the cut. Also, you will for any surgeon need to have a history in physics, there you can measure how deep the cut is, and when the patient will wake up

Answer 2

For many reasons, proficiency in Math is absolutely required to be any kind of medical doctor - including surgeons.

For starters, you will not get accepted to medical school if you have not taken required prerequisite classes in college. One required course is Physics 1, Physics 2, and Physics Lab. At most universities, you cannot even enroll in Physics unless you have already completed certain math courses.

The same holds true for certain topics in Chemistry 1 and Chemistry 2. Various concepts involving reaction rates, pH, the relationship between moles and mass, and many others can get complicated mathematically.

In order to get accepted to medical school you also must have a good score on the MCAT exam. This exam covers concepts from Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Physics and Biology. You will not be able to achieve a satisfactory score on this exam if you are not very comfortable with math.

Once in medical school, the need for fluency in mathematics remains very important. Human Physiology is a topic a surgeon must know so well that it becomes second nature. Almost every topic in Physiology involves math and mathematical relationships described by equations. For example, gas laws relating to partial pressures of gases, gas exchange, relationship between pressure, temperature, and gas density, fluid dynamics through vasculature, electrochemical potentials through neurons, acid/base calculations of blood, pressure-volume relationships in the heart cycle, and so on.

Another example is Pharmacology. Doctors must have a deep understanding of dosages and the rates they are broken down by the body - which are all described through somewhat advanced equations.

On a more philosophical level, I would also suggest that studying mathematics increases your mental capacity and discipline in ways that other disciplines do not. Someone who gets frustrated and gives up easily will not be able to do mathematics - and certainly will not be able to be a surgeon.

Any young student that hopes to one day have a job in any advanced field - whether it be medicine, design, engineering, accounting, economics - should strive to become very good at math.

Answer 3

To do actual surgery, you may not have to do a lot of math. Probably the most would be converting weights to dosages (for example, you can't give someone so much anesthetic if they're under 150 lbs etc). However, there are many other aspects that would require at least a basic grasp of math. Billing, paperwork, costs, revenue's etc. But you probably don't need calculus 7.

Answer 4

He may need it to discover the angle of swing or whatnot, but otherwise not really.

Answer 5

measurments calculus

Answer 6

Balancing their checkbook.