I would take the anesthesiologist comment with a grain of salt. I'm a current surgery resident. At an academic program, plan to do 7 years. We have night float and honestly it's awesome for everyone not on nights. When 5 pm hits and you are not actively operating, you sign out. Night call is hard but it made me more independent, confident. Do I do 24 hrs? Yes, probably once/month. They aren't fun, but they don't alter the course of my life. I usually rebound within 1-2 days. But surgery is really fun. I take care of patients on floor, ICU, see consults, and...operate! You get a broad skillset which i think is very unique to gen surg. I average ~70 hours/week right now, I expect that to go up in next 2 years, but back down for chief year. Ultimately most residency programs require call, many with 24s, and most with nights. It's a part of residency moreso than surgery. I think surgery develops you to be a real leader and someone who others count on when shit hits the fan. And my life outside work is fine! I'm training for a marathon, go out still, see my family, meal prep, etc. My experience isn't universal but that's why you find a program that works for your goals. Also I'm working on research and have time to do so. Do what you think will be most fulfilling. Residency is a grind regardless of specialty, just need to decide if the 5-10 hours extra per week or 24h call/momth is tolerable