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  1. Vascular surgery

    Vascular surgeons diagnose and manage conditions affecting the circulation, including disease of the arteries and veins.

    Training usually starts with a five year first degree in medicine and two years of foundation training. You'll then do two years of core training (CT1–2), followed by four years of specialist training (ST3-6). This period of training will include completing your royal college exams .Length of training can vary according to your circumstances.
    Working hours should not exceed 48 hours a week. The working hours may sometimes extend beyond the normal working day including early mornings, evenings and weekends. You'll also need to be on call. The basic salary ranges from £29,384 to £34,012. Once you start your specialty training as a vascular surgeon employed by the NHS, you can expect to earn a salary of at least £40,257, which can increase to between £84,559 and £114,003 as a consultant.
    You'll need excellent communication skills and be emotionally resilient, have a calm temperament and the ability to work well under pressure. You'll have the capacity to lead multidisciplinary teams and have excellent problem-solving and diagnostic skills. As a vascular surgeon, you'll have: a high degree of manual dexterity; superb hand-eye co-ordination; excellent vision; visuospatial awareness and the physical stamina to cope with the demands of surgery.
    In 2020 there were 574 applications for 123 specialty training posts (a competition ratio of 4.67). You could specialise or conduct research in areas such as paediatric vascular conditions or trauma centres. You could also teach medical or postgraduate students.
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