A surgeon is a physician who has qualified as a specialist in surgery, the ability to use medical instruments to cut into the body, repair medical conditions, then repair the damage. In addition to excellent knowledge of practical anatomy, surgeons require steady hands and great manual dexterity.
Historically, physicians and surgeons were two separate professions, but grew together in the 19th century as surgery became less a matter of lancing, amputation and cauterization and became an important part of the treatment of internal disorders. As such, modern physicians have much more basic medical knowledge apart from just anatomy and their manual skills.
Robert Chase is currently on the surgical staff at Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital hoping to qualify as a surgical specialist in addition to his specializations in intensive care and cardiology.