25 Best Medical Schools for Surgery in the World

For all those planning to specialize in surgery, we have picked out some of the best medical schools for surgery in the world.

There are many different fields of medicine, which, of course, all are necessary and therefore well respected. Naturally, some are paid more than others, and perceived harder, due to the level of dedication, practice, and knowledge they require to be mastered. Therefore, some of the highest paid medical specialists include cardiologists, orthopedic surgeons, gastroenterologists, and urologists.

Concerning surgery in general, the average salary for surgeons is around $252,910 – having in mind all the levels of experience and different surgery branches. Regarding experience level, novice surgeons can expect an annual salary of $102,043-$355,198, experienced surgeons $128,802-$399,607, and the late-career ones $148,348-$405,852.

But at this point, we are at the moment of choosing the best medical school for a future career. According to Top Universities and their medical school rankings for 2018, Harvard stands as the number one for 2018, while UCLA’s medical school ranking ranks 7^th. For more info on some of the best medical universities in the USA, you can check out the Top 20 General Surgery Residency Programs in the US.

As for the best medical schools in Europe, Oxford University keeps the number one position, followed by the University of Cambridge. But, today we are focusing on best medical schools for surgery in the world.

Now, concerning the methodology used in order to find and rank the top universities for surgery, we searched in many places. There were various listings and recommendations on the best medical schools for surgery, but mainly in the US, such as US News. For other general information on the best medical schools and surgery programs, we went through Study, Scholarship Positions. We ranked the surgery schools on our list mainly guided by the ranking of medical schools for 2019, which we gathered on the Times Higher Education.

Let’s take a look which of the best medical schools in the world offer the best education in the field of surgery:

25. Vanderbilt University

Vanderbilt University offers various surgical specialties, including plastic surgery, emergency general surgery, rectal surgery, surgical weight loss, and it is among the top universities for getting a good education in these fields.

24. University College London

At the Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, UCL offers all levels of degrees in these fields – undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate. So, it is a great place to get your surgical education.

23. University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

Being among the top universities with best medical schools for surgery in the US, School of Medicine at Pittsburgh University offers the highest quality education and access to advanced cutting-edge technological innovations, according to their own words.

22. Northwestern University

Northwestern offers 12 schools, among which medical school is one with the lowest acceptance rates, as you can see, it is not among the 10 Easiest Northwestern Schools to get Into. Nevertheless, they are among the top universities offering a great education in the field of surgery.

21. University of Sydney

This university’s medical school ranks among the top in the world. They also offer a range of surgical fields, including oral surgery, endocrine surgery, plastic surgery and many more.

20. Emory University, Department of Surgery

Emory University, based in Atlanta, GA, stands for one of the universities in the country with the best medical school. There are several divisions for different surgical specialties such as cardiothoracic surgery, colorectal surgery, general surgery, maxillofacial surgery, pediatric surgery, plastic surgery among others.

19.  Boston University School of Medicine

Concerning surgery at Boston University School of medicine, they offer really a wide range of specialties, including transgender surgery, breast surgery, thoracic surgery, vascular and endovascular surgery, minimally invasive surgery, surgical oncology, etc.

18. Heidelberg University

In this European University with a long tradition, you can find some of the best surgery education. Apart from usual surgical specialties, there is also a section for surgical research, previously known as experimental surgery.

17. Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan

Department of surgery at the University of Michigan has one of the best programs in the country for surgical specializations. The department puts a lot of emphasis on research and innovation in this field of medicine.

16. University of Washington

School of Medicine at the University of Washington is among the highest ranked in the country, with a department of surgery with a long tradition and excellent training they offer to students.

15. Duke University

Duke University is one among the strongest when it comes to medical schools for surgery. Here, you can seek specializations in abdominal transplant, vascular, endocrine, cardiothoracic colorectal surgeries.

14. Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania

Among the best medical schools in the US, Penn Med takes a high position. Also, it maintained its reputation for centuries we might say (being founded in 1765). This is surely one of the best medical schools for surgery.

13. Karolinska University

This university is located in Sweden, giving the best of Scandinavian education in the field of medicine. At the Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, they offer undergraduate and graduate programs for students.

12. University of Toronto, Faculty of Medicine

Department of Surgery at the University of Toronto, Faculty of Medicine offers a wide range of surgical specializations in this field, which include multidisciplinary programs in bariatric surgery, hand surgery, spine, transplantation, and trauma. A variety of surgery specialties help it rank as one of the best medical schools for surgery in the world.

11. Yale School of Medicine

Surgery at Yale had been following the latest trends ever since it was founded in 1812. There are 15 specializations at Yale Surgery, which include neuropathology, cardiac surgery, surgical outcomes, epidemiology, etc.

10. University of Melbourne, Melbourne Medical School

The University of Melbourne offers top education in the field of medicine. Concerning surgery, they offer education both on the degree level, but short surgical courses as well, in vast fields of surgery.

9. Columbia University, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons

Columbia University offers a great education in the field of surgery. Their teaching hospital is ranked No.6 at the country level, which speaks much about them.

8. David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA

There are several surgical divisions at UCLA, which include plastic surgery, pediatric surgery, cardiac surgery, vascular surgery among others. Their teaching hospital ranked No.7 at the country level.

7. Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland

RCSI offers postgraduate education and training at the Department of Surgical Affairs, with specialty training in cardiothoracic surgery, otolaryngology, plastic surgery, general surgery, urology, vascular surgery among others.

6. Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine

This university has always been among the top ones in the US concerning medical schools, and it is definitely one of the best medical schools for surgery in the world, as well. At the Department of Surgery, there are a lot of specialties you can choose from, including acute care surgery, hepato-pancreato-biliary surgery, transplant surgery, neurosurgery, head and neck surgery, gynecologic surgery.

5. Stanford Medicine, Stanford University

Department of Surgery at Stanford Medicine offers all levels of degrees, including postdoc, but also High School Summer Programs, which is a great idea for those still not sure if surgery is the right thing for their future careers.

4. Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London

At the Department of Surgery and Cancer at the Imperial College, there is a range of programs for under and postgraduate studies, as well as short courses.

3. University of Cambridge, School of Clinical Medicine

The main focal points of the Department of Surgery at Cambridge, are transplantation, stem cell medicine, surgical oncology, and orthopedic surgery. However, there is a wide range of other surgical specialties you can choose at this renowned university.

2. Harvard Medical School

We have come to the number one of the US best medical schools. There is a wide range of medical specialties here, which include Program in Global Surgery and Social Change.

1. University of Oxford, Medical School

Finally, the number one among the best medical schools for surgery in the world is Oxford University. At the Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences, you can choose all levels of education, including short courses, which offer the best education in the field of surgery.