The Perception of Arrogance

Medical students often remark that surgeons seem more arrogant than doctors in other specialties. Of course, this is a generalization, but the observation raises an important question: why do surgeons give off this impression?

The Immediacy of Surgical Results

One reason may be the immediacy of surgery. Surgeons see the tangible outcome of their hands: a diseased part removed, a fracture fixed, a ligament reconstructed. The result is visible, almost immediate. By contrast, physicians in internal medicine rely heavily on medications, patient compliance, and time before healing becomes evident. That difference in visibility can foster a subtle sense of superiority in surgeons.

Pride as a Protective Factor

Interestingly, one student suggested that pride may act as a “protective factor” for surgeons. What he meant was this: a measure of confidence—sometimes perceived as arrogance—helps the surgeon stabilize emotions and execute under pressure. Surgery is filled with high-stakes moments where hesitation can cost the patient dearly. If a surgeon were constantly shortchanging himself, second-guessing every move, or crippled by insecurity, he could freeze at a crucial moment. A degree of self-assurance is, therefore, not only helpful but necessary.

Confidence vs. Pride

Yet here we must distinguish between confidence and pride. Confidence is rooted in rightly acknowledging the gifts and training God has entrusted to us. It steadies the hand in difficulty. Pride, however, is an overinflated sense of self—believing we can survive and succeed on our own strength. Confidence looks upward in dependence; pride looks inward in self-reliance. Confidence protects, but pride corrodes.

This is only part of the reflection. The deeper question remains: How should the Christian surgeon think about pride, confidence, and true humility before God?

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The Temptation in Teamwork

This tension is especially visible in how surgeons view allied health workers. After reconstructing an ACL, for instance, I may feel the greatest work is already done—tempted to diminish the painstaking efforts of physiotherapists in rehabilitation. Yet the literature is clear: when surgeons underemphasize rehab, patients do worse. Pride blinds us to the full picture of healing.

Living by Sight

Part of this temptation comes from how surgery feeds our tendency to “live by sight.” We fix fractures, we reconstitute ligaments—we see the results with our eyes. Rehabilitation, however, depends on patient motivation and unseen daily effort, which feels beyond our control. Naturally, we value what we can see more highly.

The Biblical Antidote

Here Scripture speaks directly. “So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth” (1 Cor 3:7). Applied to our practice: neither the surgeon who operates, nor the physiotherapist who guides rehab, is anything. Only God gives true healing. And 1 Cor 4:7 presses the point: “What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?”

True Humility in Practice

The antidote to surgical pride, then, is remembering that we are but instruments in God’s hands. Both surgery and rehabilitation are necessary, but neither is ultimate. Only God gives the growth. Recognizing this frees us from arrogance and stirs true humility in our practice.