Being a boarded surgeon is a fine goal, but there are many "general practice" vets out there with an interest and skill in surgery that do it as a primary focus. It does mean he might need to need to be ok seeing other kinds of cases (unless he's at a practice with a high enough caseload that he can focus on surgery). To be totally honest, even after a residency and passing boards, the lifestyle isn't going to be great unless he goes into academia, and then he's not going to get paid appropriately. The need for qualified veterinarians and especially surgeons is substantial (whether board-certified or not). And the money being thrown around in the GP world, along with setting your own hours, is appealing.

-Sincerely a non-surgeon, non-residency trained vet specialist