FAQ #23: Is It Possible to Be a Surgeon if You Go to CCLCM?

Yes. I think that about half my class (not including myself!) wants to go into surgery of some type. I've mentioned before how many engineering majors we have, and a lot of them are planning to go into orthopedic surgery. I can also tell you that the Cleveland Clinic has many prominent surgeons working here, particularly in cardiac surgery. I think if you come here and want to be a surgeon that the school will be hoping to get you to become an academic surgeon as opposed to being a private practitioner. But there is definitely no expectation that anyone who goes to medical school at CCLCM must become a bench scientist. In fact, I'd say that the research emphasis here tends to be more on clinical science rather than bench science. From what I can tell, many of the MDs who do research here tend to do clinical research, and that is definitely something that is compatible with being a surgeon.