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Anesthesiologist
Job Description
Median Salary & Range
Median Salary: $337,350
Salary Range: ~$247,800 - $423,080+
College Majors & Attainment Routes
The normal routes to becoming an Anesthesiologist have been to attain a Bachelor's of Science degree in Pre-Medical, Physics, Biology or Biological Sciences, Physiology or Physiology Sciences, Chemistry (Pre-Professional), Engineering Physics, Biomedical Sciences, Biochemistry, or Pre-Professional Education.
All future Anesthesiologists must complete a 4-year undergraduate program (Pre-Medicine or another science-concentrated program, though not required) and, upon graduating, successfully complete the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). They must then complete 4 years of medical school (first 2 years in the sciences and the second 2 years in clinical training). Upon graduation from medical school, Anesthesiologists spend 1 year in specialized training (diagnosis and other areas of medicine), followed by a 3-year residency program on the technology and medical aspects of Anesthesiology. Manditory studies also include Cardiology, Critical Care Medicine, Internal Medicine, Pharmacology, and Surgery. During residency training, Anesthesiologists work to attain certification from the American Society of Anesthesiologists or the American Board of Anesthesiology.
Colleges That Provide Above Majors
Colleges and universities that have Anesthesiology programs and related majors are: Meharry Medical College (Nashville, Tennessee); Howard University (Washington, DC); Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science (Los Angeles, California); Delaware State University (Dover, Delaware); Morgan State University (Baltimore, Maryland); Morehouse College (Atlanta, Georgia); Spelman College (Atlanta, Georgia); Norfolk State University (Norfolk, Virginia); Elizabeth City State University (Elizabeth City, North Carolina); Winston Salem State University (Winston Salem, North Carolina); Fayetteville State University (Fayetteville, North Carolina); North Carolina Central University (Durham, North Carolina); Virginia State University (Petersburg, Virginia); Johnson C. Smith University (Charlotte, North Carolina); Albany State University (Albany, Georgia); South Carolina State University (Orangeburg, South Carolina); Savannah State University (Savannah, Georgia); North Carolina A&T State University (Greensboro, North Carolina); Claflin University (Orangeburg, South Carolina); Allen University (Columbia, South Carolina); Fort Valley State University (Fort Valley, Georgia); Paine College (Augusta, Georgia); Livingstone College (Salisbury, North Carolina); Benedict College (Columbia, South Carolina); Huston-Tillotson University (Austin, Texas); Voorhees College (Denmark, South Carolina); and Hampton University (Hampton, Virginia).
Available Scholarships
When patients go to surgery, they are put to sleep for various reasons: to keep from moving, to ease pain, etc. Other patients are sedated to get proper rest, given a shot to ease labor pain, or given medicine to ease chronic pain. The one thing they all have in common is anesthetics, and it takes very unique, yet scrupulous training to be entrusted with the care of these very powerful, specialized drugs. If you embrace the toughest challenges, have a keen mind, are detail-oriented, perform well under pressure, and excel in Science, Math, and Health, then you should consider becoming an Anesthesiologist.
Anesthesiologists are Physicians who administer anesthetics prior to, during, and after surgery or other medical procedures, focusing on the care of surgical patients and pain relief. They administer the drugs (anesthetics) that reduce or eliminate the sensation of pain during an operation or other medical procedures. During surgery, they are responsible for adjusting the amount of anesthetic as needed and monitoring the patient's heart rate, body temperature, blood pressure, and breathing. They also work outside the operating room, providing pain relief in the intensive care unit, during labor and delivery, and for those who suffer from chronic pain.
The duties of an Anesthesiologist include but are not limited to: meeting with patients prior to surgery to evaluate their condition and to review their medical history; giving a "preoperative interview" and planning the management of those conditions during surgery; explaining the process so the patient knows what to expect; answering patients' concerns/questions concerning their health and well-being; examining patients to determine type of anesthetic needed and communicating findings to appropriate medical practitioner; administering local, intravenous, or spinal anesthetic (during surgery) and monitoring patient for reactions, complications, discomfort, and pain; recording type and amount of anesthesia; updating patients' charts to show/reflect current findings; determining condition of patient before, during, and after sedation; closely monitoring patients' vital signs (heart rate and rhythm, blood pressure, breathing, brain and kidney functions) and comfort during surgery and adjusting anesthetics accordingly; monitoring patients and their vitals through the first recovery stages (after surgery) and administering appropriate medications to reverse the effects of anesthetic; and treating patients with conditions causing chronic pain.
High school students interested in becoming an Anesthesiologist benefit from taking Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, Calculus, Biology/Anatomy, Nutrition, Nursing, Health, Physical Science, Chemistry, and Physics. Students entering Pre-Medical Bachelor's of Science programs with no previous Anesthesiology training should expect a period of 4 years to complete said program. Upon completion of undergraduate studies, graduates must complete 4 years of medical school, 1 year of specialized training, and 3 years of residency. To obtain licensure (required in all states), medical school graduates must pass the U.S. Medical and Licensing Examination (USMLE). At the culmination of the residency program, those pursuing this specialty in medicine must pass the American Board of Anesthesiology (ABA) written and oral certification examination. Some states also require continuing education on a periodic basis.
Anesthesiologists work in hospitals, emergency rooms (victims of heart attacks, shock, drug overdoses, traumatic injuries, and other serious health problems requiring immediate care), dental offices, outpatient surgical centers, labor and delivery units (administering epidural), pain management clinics, critical and intensive care units, private healthcare and pharmaceutical companies (research and consulting), and at universities (teaching and research). They often work directly with Nurse Anesthetists who help administer medications to patients during surgery.
Employment of Anesthesiologists is expected to grow by 24 percent over the next decade. Job prospects should be particularly good for those who are willing to practice in rural, low-income, and other underserved areas. As the population grows and ages and as advances and expansions in healthcare enable people to live longer, the need for Anesthesiologists will only increase.
