General Surgery · Evidence depth: moderate
Colorectal Surgery
Ownership-sensitivity model
The 10 vectors of a physician career.
Every path is scored 0-100 across 10 critical dimensions using public-data signals, modeled assumptions, and verification prompts. Modeled estimate. Not a salary survey. See methodology.
65/100
Income ceiling
Income ceiling
Solid, but highly dependent on endoscopy volume and ownership.
The reality
Routine screening colonoscopies are highly efficient and generate consistent RVUs.
The signal
Major bowel resections (cancer, IBD) take significant time and are less financially efficient per hour.
The catch
Reaching the absolute peak requires ownership in the endoscopy center to capture facility fees.
The verdict
A moderate wealth builder compared to heavy orthopedics, but excellent for general surgery.
75/100
Lifestyle control
Lifestyle control
High control, offering a significant upgrade over pure general surgery.
The reality
The practice is heavily weighted toward elective, scheduled cases and colonoscopies.
The signal
The primary lifestyle lever is negotiating a contract that exempts you from the general surgery ER trauma pool.
The catch
If you only take dedicated colorectal call, your schedule becomes highly predictable.
The verdict
A great lifestyle choice for a surgeon who still wants to do major abdominal cases.
Premium analysis
8 more dimensions scored, with the reasoning behind each
The scores are below. Premium adds what sits behind each one: the claim, the signal supporting it, the limitation that weakens it, and what it should change about your decision.
- Sleep / call burdenLower is better35/100
- Ownership / facility upsideHigher is better65/100
- Geography flexibilityHigher is better80/100
- Innovation / industry adjacencyHigher is better50/100
- Training opportunity costLower is better40/100
- Job-market densityHigher is better85/100
- Malpractice / litigation pressureLower is better55/100
- Burnout-mismatch riskLower is better30/100
Scores are modeled from the specialty module's evidence and are estimates, not measurements. Confidence and data depth are labeled inside every premium card.
DoctorCalculator modeled income structure
Derived model. DirectionalModeled base range
$430k - $545k
Anchored to Doximity 2025 Physician Compensation Report subspecialty row (Doximity 2025 public specialty table row 'Colon & Rectal Surgery').
Production upside
Moderate–high
Mix of major resections (hospital) and high-volume scopes/office procedures (ownable).
Ownership upside
Moderate
Endoscopy ASC equity (screening volume) plus anorectal office procedures.
Salary-only gap
Moderate
Employed colorectal forgoes scope facility fees; the anchor survey row reflects mostly employed settings.
Modeled estimate. Not a salary survey. Derived model. Directional only. Verify against real offers, contracts, and local mentors. Income scales with payer mix, ownership, and geography. See methodology.
Want the code-level view behind numbers like these? Open the RVU calculator for this specialty's procedures, CMS times, and locality-adjusted Medicare rates.
External benchmark reference
Verify independently~$450k
External benchmark reference - verify independently. Not ingested DoctorCalculator source data.
Best fit
- The Lifestyle-First Clinician. A good life on sane hours, and the math actually works.
- The Metro Wealth-Builder. Big-city life now, serious wealth later. Powered by discipline, not just income.
Poor fit
- The Acute-Care Identity Seeker. Energized by intensity, emergencies, and high-stakes work.
This path is described at validated confidence (Evidence depth: moderate). Detailed evidence cards are added as the module is validated; we will not manufacture precision before then.