Job Description
An anesthesiologist (also called anaesthesiologist or anaesthetist) is a physician who administers anesthetics prior to, during, or after surgery or other medical procedures. The core element of the specialty is the study and use of anesthesia and anesthetics to safely support a patient's vital functions through the perioperative period.
Steps for how to get into the field. Work your way to Anesthesiologist or a job like it:
- Begin by earning a bachelor's degree with a high GPA that covers pre-med coursework. This is easiest to do in a science-related field like biology or chemistry but possible in others as well.
- Apply to and attend a medical school accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) or the American Osteopathic Association (AOA). The application process is extensive and likely requires completing standardized testing, in person interviews, and personal recommendations.
- This typically takes four years to earn a Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) degree. After completion you will need to decide your area of specialization.
- Residency programs provide specialized training and hands-on experience in a particular field of medicine, and allows doctors to develop the skills and knowledge necessary to practice in their chosen specialty.
- You will need to obtain a medical license by passing the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) or similar exams.
Education:
I went to college for four years and then medical school. After medical school, I did an anesthesiology residency, which was an additional four years.
Tips For Your First Years of Work Experience (Post Residency):
Your first multiple years of training, or work after training, be in a challenging environment (so basically hospital work or academics).
Avoid This Mistake:
People coming out of training try to find a cush job in medicine or a job where they don't have to take call, which tend to be outpatient jobs in medicine, not hospital based. And I think this can be a mistake because those are the years of high learning and there's nothing like experience.
Reproductive Health Clinic:
I'm the anesthesiologist at our reproductive health clinic, putting people to sleep primarily for egg retrievals and other reproductive surgeries that they need.
Career Concerns:
Couple concerns I do have about my job is I have a contract with the facility and it's a contract to provide all the anesthesia services that they need. So I'm 100% responsible 365 days a year. I have a group of people that can back me up and I can try to get days off to go on vacation or a weekend off to go out of town, but if nobody can cover for me, then I can't. So this is quite a big responsibility.
Career Pros:
I'm really happy at my job. I love the people I work with. Now I get to help young healthy people have babies, which is really rewarding.
