Hardworking

• A surgeon must be motivated to work hard from the very beginning of his career. Becoming a surgeon requires long hours in college and medical school followed by residency training. In addition, many types of surgeries can take hours to complete, and some may even last all day. Surgeons must be willing to put in as much time as necessary to properly research a patient's condition and follow through with the appropriate surgical treatment and follow-up care as required.
  
  

Flexibility

• Successful surgeons have a great deal of flexibility in their personality. According to the American College of Surgeons, a surgeon often faces an unpredictable and challenging day as surgeries are often rescheduled, patients and their families may complicate things, and other doctors and nurses may interfere with the patient's care. In addition, the surgical field is always adapting and changing as new technology and new information comes along. A surgeon must have the ability to adapt to new situation and continue to provide the best patient care.
  
  

Compassionate

• Most people would agree it is important for any doctor or medical caregiver to have a certain level of compassion, and this personality trait may be even more important for a surgeon who routinely has patients' lives in his hands. Thomas R. Russell, the executive director of the American College of Surgeons, indicates that a good surgeon must have also have a sense of humanity. Through his sense of humanity, he develops an ability to relate to the patient's needs and provide better overall care.
  
  

A Humble Nature

• A good surgeon should also have a humble nature. A humble surgeon knows he must always continue to learn in order to improve his technical knowledge and surgical aptitude for the benefit of his patients. Surgeons who are arrogant, moody or eccentric may not work well as part of a surgical team. Surgeons who are humble possess a better ability to impart surgical knowledge with residents, interns, and medical students.