Generally, It takes four years of undergrad college with excellent grades, then four years of medical school with excellent grades and very good medical board scores. Then 5 to 7 years of residency in surgery.
Don't take any shortcuts as that they generally backfire on you! In undergrad do what it takes to earn top grades. Generally in the US, surgeons earn the most either in orthopedics or cardio. Don't know how it is down under. There are links to pay surveys if you search on the site. Hope this helps!

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In Grad school in Biology