Surgery as a science and a craft has passed through a very long and exhausting journey, during which its significance, influence, proportionate contribution to public health, its regard in society and overall landscape have changed dramatically. From a secondary, poorly founded and modestly appreciated profession, to a highly esteemed practice and academic discipline whose members command the highest levels of respect and attention among fellow academics, medical practitioners and the public.

Parallel to those changes, the surgeon's status, character and qualifications have changed drastically through the ages too. With the thrive of surgery and surgeons, their code of conduct and ethics have developed as well.

In this subject, we discuss the journey that the surgical profession had endured, from the earliest pre-historic ages, through the first civilizations of the ancient world and the middle ages, up to its re-formulation into the modern form we know nowadays. With that journey, we discuss how surgeon's social and scientific status in the community have changed, how the process of specialization developed, as well as the main points of weaknesses that have repeatedly hindered the advance of surgery.