By: Fatin Anjum
Edited by: Maya Adam
In the medical field, anesthesiologists play a crucial role in the surgical process, ensuring patient well-being and safety during procedures. They are medical professionals who specialize in administering anesthesia during surgeries and procedures.
Roles:
Anesthesiologists typically lead the anesthesia care team. Anesthesiologists will take care of patients before, during, or after their surgery, mainly dealing with pain management and administering anesthesia. They will continue to assess patients even after the procedure to ensure patient safety. Their roles are not only limited to the surgical room but also outside of the operating room. Outside of surgery, anesthesiologists will treat patients with acute pain. Acute pain is the pain following surgery or an injury. In some cases, anesthesiologists with board certification in pain medicine may also treat chronic pain or pain related to physical trauma or disease.
Medical Pathway:
Becoming an anesthesiologist can take between 12 and 14 years after high school. Aspiring anesthesiologists have to go through 4 years of undergraduate schooling in pre-med, followed by 4 years of medical school, and finally 4 years of residency.
In undergraduate school, pre-med students may major in any chosen subject, but it is common to pick a science or math-related major to fit with the medical pathway. During this time, students simultaneously study for MCAT. MCAT is a medical admissions test necessary for admission into medical school.
For medical school, aspiring anesthesiologists can apply to a Doctor of Medicine or Doctor of Osteopathy. Both medical programs typically cover the material needed for medical licensing. After the first 2 years, MD students must pass the 1st part of the USMILE, or US medical licensing exam, while MO students must pass the 1st part of the COMPLEX-USA, or Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Exam. After taking the 1st part of either USMILE or COMPLEX-USA, medical students must take part 2 of the USMILE or COMPLEX-USA exams.
Finally, the residency program. Residency programs help students train to become physicians. Anesthesiology residency programs help students train in their chosen field, such as neurology. Pediatrics, general surgery, etc. After the completion of the 1st year of residency, anesthesiologist students have to take the 3rd step of the USMILE or COMPLEX-USA exams. Upon successful completion of the exam, medical interns can be referred to as residents. As resident anesthesiologists, students may specialize in the following subspecialties:
● Adult and pediatric cardiac anesthesiology
● Pediatric Anesthesiology
● Clinical Informatics
● Critical Care Medicine
● Neurocritical Care
● Obstetric Anesthesiology
● Pain Medicine
● Regional Anesthesiology and Acute Pain Medicine
The final part of becoming a certified anesthesiologist is board certification. Anesthesiology residents have to get board certification from the American Board of Anesthesiology.
The board certification from ABA will begin with a written and oral exam, which can be taken after the 1st year of residency. This is referred to as the basic exam. Upon completion of the basic exam, residents can sit for the advanced exam. Upon completion of the advanced exam, residents can sit for the applied exam, which includes the traditional Standardized Oral Examination (SOE) and the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE). Upon completion of the applied exam, a resident will be a board-certified anesthesiologist who may enter practice.
Salary & Work-Life Balance:
Anesthesiologists reported an average salary of $472,000 per year in 2023, which puts anesthesiologists at one of the top incomes of physicians.
Though salary is one of the favorable aspects of being an anesthesiologist, the work-life balance is also reported to be quite good. With a 9-5 schedule with rare on-calls, anthologists have a good balance between clinical shifts and personal lives.
Work Cited
“How Long to Become an Anesthesiologist.” AUC School of Medicine, 8 Sept. 2023, www.aucmed.edu/about/blog/how-long-to-become-anesthesiologist.
Jubbal, Kevin. “So You Want to Be an Anesthesiologist.” Med School Insiders, 13 Sept. 2022, medschoolinsiders.com/medical-student/so-you-want-to-be-an-anesthesiologist/.
“Role of the Anesthesiologist.” Role of the Anesthesiologist | University of Maryland School of Medicine, www.medschool.umaryland.edu/anesthesiology/patient-information/role-of-the-anesthesiologist/. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.
Tank, Alisa. “2024 Anesthesiologist Salary Report: Salaries Grow, but Many Don’t Feel Fairly Compensated.” CompHealth, 18 Sept. 2024, comphealth.com/resources/anesthesiologist-salary-report-2024.
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