Anesthesiologist

At a Glance
Anesthesiologists are medical doctors who give drugs and gases (anesthetics) to patients to keep them pain-free during surgery.

Core Tasks
Assess patients medical histories and choose the type of anesthetic to use Tell patients about the anesthetics Administer anesthetics and monitor patients during surgery Adjust anesthetics as required Make sure patients wake up safely and remain comfortable after surgery

Workplace
Work for hospitals, clinics, and pain treatment centers Spend time in offices, hospital rooms, and operating rooms Work with nurses and surgeons Those in hospitals work ! to " hours a week, often including weekends May be on call when not working

Earnings
Typical Earnings Range: $100 - $120

#$%$,!!! to #&!!,!!! a year or more 'arnings depend on e(perience, location, number of hours worked, and skill Subspecialty training leads to higher incomes

Education & Training

A )octor of Medicine *M)+ degree ,esidency in anesthesiology A license to practice in your state

Level of Education
&-.ear /ollege or 0ni1ersity

Attributes & Abilities

/ommunication skills Work well with your hands

 2bser1ant and careful 3erform well under pressure )ecisi1e

Michigan Career Pathways

Health Sciences

Job Description
Without anesthesiologists, surgery would be very painful, and impossible in most cases. Anesthesiologists are physicians who administer the drugs or gases that prevent patients from feeling any pain or sensation during surgery. But thats not all that these specialists do. They are responsible for the well-being of the patient before, during, and after surgery. Prior to surgery, anesthesiologists assess the patients medical history, consult with the surgical team, and decide what anesthetic should be used. Decisions about the type of anesthetic are based on the type of surgery, other medications being taken, and the patients health. Anesthesiologists also discuss the anesthetic plan with their patients prior to surgery, and explain to them what to expect before, during, and after surgery. They monitor the patients blood pressure and heart rate, and then administer the anesthetic, which may be general or regional. General anesthesia makes a patient unconscious. Regional anesthetic affects only a particular area, such as a leg or an arm. Anesthesiologists may also insert an intravenous line (IV) to administer additional fluids such as special sugar and salt solutions. During surgery, anesthesiologists use mechanical monitors to observe changes in the patients vital signs, such as heart rate, breathing, and blood pressure. They also observe the patient, adjusting the anesthesia as required to control the patients level of consciousness. If necessary, they respond to any emergencies or unexpected developments that take place during surgery. In short, they are responsible for supporting the patients life functions and pain relief during the operation, so that the surgeon is free to concentrate on the actual procedure. After surgery, anesthesiologists ensure the patient wakes up from the anesthesia safely and remains comfortable. This may include prescribing pain-relieving medication in the early recovery phase as well as treating complications that arise later. In many hospitals, anesthesiologists work with an anesthesia care team (ACT), medically supervising the work of nonphysician anesthetists such as nurse anesthetists and anesthesiologist assistants, who have been trained in the technical administration of anesthetics. Anesthesiologists may choose to focus on a particular field of anesthesia care, such as obstetric or cardiovascular anesthesia. Some develop an expertise in the use of anesthetics to treat patients with chronic pain. These anesthesiologists work with multidisciplinary professionals, such as psychologists, social workers, and chaplains, in palliative care units of hospitals and chronic pain clinics, to reduce pain in all areas of a patients life.

Working Conditions
Anesthesiologists work in hospitals, clinics, and chronic pain clinics. A large portion of anesthesiologists work is done in the operating room, where they work as part of a team that includes nurses and surgeons. For complex surgeries, they may have to spend up to 8 hours in an operating room at a time. In addition to the operating room, anesthesiologists work in the intensive care unit, the maternity unit, and the pre-admission clinic. They may spend part of their day in an office doing patient consultations, for instance performing physical examinations of patients, reviewing laboratory test results, and assessing the need for further testing before going ahead with surgery. Those who work in hospitals may have to work long hours, usually 60 to 65 hours a week. Weekend or overnight work is

often required, especially for those who are on-call, for these anesthesiologists. Those who work in pain treatment centers may not have to work on weekends and they are not usually on-call.

Earnings
Incomes for anesthesiologists vary according to the number of years an anesthesiologist has practiced, the geographical location of the practice, the number of hours worked each week, and the skill of the doctor. In general, fully qualified anesthesiologists can earn anywhere from around $121,000 to over $400,000 a year. Those who are trained in a specific area of anesthesia care, such as pediatric or neurosurgical anesthesia, usually earn the highest incomes. According to a survey published by the American Medical Group Association (AMGA), the median compensation for anesthesiologists is about $371,000 a year. The lowest salaries are earned by residents. All physicians spend time learning their specialty on-the-job by working as residents after graduating from medical school. Their earnings during this period vary depending on where they do their residency and their level of experience, but residents can generally expect to earn between $45,000 and $58,000 a year.

Michigan Wages
Occupation: Anesthesiologists

Level of E perience !ourly

Annual

'ntry Wage #4!5!!6 #$78,%!!6 Median Wage #4!5!!6 #$78,%!!6 '(perienced Wage #4!5!!6 #$78,%!!6
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics http://www.bls.gov

Michigan Outlook
Occupation: Anesthesiologists

E"ploy"ent

#$%$ #$#$
Change

$,$4! $,9&!

&u"ber $"! Percentage $%5%

Annual Average 'penings

Total (rowth )eplace"ent 94 $" %&

Source: Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget, Labor Market Information http://www.milmi.org

Education
Anesthesiologists complete the same basic medical training as other doctors. After high school, students need to complete at least 3 years of a bachelors degree, including the successful completion of several required science courses. This is the minimum education required to apply to medical school. Admission to medical school is very competitive. Most applicants have at least a 4-year bachelors degree, and some even have a masters degree. Generally, those applicants with the highest grades have the best chance of being accepted;

however, medical schools also consider things like maturity, leadership skills, and extracurricular activities when making admissions decisions. Applicants must have an excellent academic record, high scores on the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), and letters of recommendation from teachers and advisors. Applicants are usually also required to submit an autobiographical essay and participate in an interview. Competition is tough and it is not uncommon for people to apply to medical school a few times before being accepted. Medical school takes 4 years to complete, and leads to a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree. Those who want to be anesthesiologists must then undertake a 3 to 4-year residency program in anesthesia. Residencies are periods of practical, on-the-job training, which take place in a hospital or other medical setting. The residency includes basic clinical training, as well as training in adult and child anesthesiology, obstetric anesthesiology, and chronic pain management. By the end of their residency, they have become experts on anesthesia, critical care, resuscitation, and pain management. All doctors must successfully complete state licensing exams. Most anesthesiologists also choose to become certified by the American Board of Anesthesiology (ABA).

Related College Programs

Medicine Pre-Medicine/Pre-Medical Studies Biology/Biological Sciences, General Biochemistry Chemistry, General

Other Suggested Qualifications

Anesthesiologists should have good communication skills so that they can effectively communicate with patients, their families, and other members of the medical team. They must work well as part of a team, since the operating room is a collaborative environment. In addition, anesthesiologists need to be observant, detail-oriented, and careful. Good multitasking skills are essential too, since they may have several urgent procedures or responsibilities at the same time, and cannot forget anything. Its also important for them to be skilled with their hands as they must be able to insert lines and tubes into a patients body accurately and quickly. Anesthesiologists should be able to handle pressure well, and have the ability to make decisions in emergency situations. People in this field are required to take continuing medical and professional development during their careers in order to keep their medical license, and to stay abreast of changes in their field. Those interested in becoming part of the anesthesia care team without acquiring an MD may choose to become a nurse anesthetist or an anesthesiologist assistant.

Suggested High School Subjects

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'nglish Mathematics 3hysical Sciences :iology Social Studies - ;eography <ealth = 3hysical 'ducation /omputers
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'nglish Mathematics 3hysical Sciences :iology Social Studies - <istory /reati1e Arts /omputers

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'nglish 'nglish Mathematics Algebra 3robability = Statistics /alculus

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:iology /hemistry 3hysics 'conomics >aw = ;o1ernment /omputers

Important

Anatomy = 3hysiology :iology /hemistry 3hysics Social Studies /omputers

Check with your advisor to make sure that your course selections satisfy your graduation requirements. Courses available may vary from school to school.

Sample Career Path

People take different pathways through their careers, but no one starts at the top. This is an example of how the earnings, education and experience requirements, and responsibilities might progress for someone in this occupation.

Level %

+a"ple Title Earnings )e,uire"ents

Anesthesiology ,esident #&",!!! to #"7,!!! a year ? )octor of Medicine *M)+ degree Working in a hospital@ treating patients, training in areas such as anesthetics, )esponsibilities intensi1e care, and internal medicineA preparing for specialty e(amination5
Level #

+a"ple Title Earnings

/ertified Anesthesiologist #%"!,!!! a year or more ? /ompletion of residency )e,uire"ents ? 3ass certification e(am ? >icensed by the rele1ant state authority 3ro1iding anesthesiology for all types of surgeryA seeing patients in pre-op *before )esponsibilities the operation+5
Level -

+a"ple Title Earnings

Senior Staff Anesthesiologist #&!!,!!! a year or more ? " or more years of e(perience as an anesthesiologist )e,uire"ents ? Management e(perienceA e(perience in training 3ro1iding anesthesiology for all types of surgeryA seeing patients in pre-op *before )esponsibilities the operation+A making management decisions regarding staffing, budget, equipment, time, and resource management

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Dermatologist Doctor Epidemiologist Family Physician Nurse Anesthetist Nurse Practitioner Obstetrician-Gynecologist Ophthalmologist Orthopedic Surgeon Osteopathic Physician Pediatrician Perfusionist Pharmacist Pharmacologist Physician Assistant Plastic Surgeon Surgeon Surgical Technologist Veterinarian

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National Employment by Industry

.ndustry / E"ployed

<ealth /are and Social Assistance 88 Self-'mployed $%

Source: O*Net Online, Browse by Industry, US Department of Labor http://online.onetcenter.org/find/industry

Other Resources
A"erican +ociety of Anesthesiologists 0A+A1 An organiBation that aims to raise and maintain anesthesiology standards and patient care5 Scroll o1er Cor The 3ublic And Media and click on About The 3rofession to learn more about anesthesiologists5 http@DDwww5asahq5org Anesthesia2one3Co" This website is a great career resource for those interested in anesthesiology5 :e sure to click on Anesthesia ,esources to find out more5 http@DDwww5anesthesiaBone5com !ow+tuffWorks 4 !ow Anesthesia Works Eisit this site for a detailed guide to how anesthesia works5 http@DDwww5howstuffworks5comDanesthesia5htm A"erican 5oard of Anesthesiology 0A5A1 The A:A offers 1oluntary certification to anesthesiologists5 /heck out the /ombined Training 3rograms section for information on educational programs5 http@DDwww5theaba5org

+ociety for 'bstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology 0+'AP1 The mission of this society is to promote e(cellence in anesthesia care for pregnant women and newborns5 .ou can find links to other helpful websites by clicking on >inks5 http@DDwww5soap5org +ociety of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists 0+CA1 This society is dedicated to quality research and practice in cardio1ascular anesthesiology5 /lick on Cor The 3ublic to find out more about this specialty5 http@DDwww5scahq5org A"erican Medical Association 0AMA1 AMA represents physicians from across the country5 Scroll o1er 'ducation and click on :ecoming A 3hysician to get information about requirements, specialties, and more5 http@DDwww5ama-assn5org +tudent 6octor &etwork 0+6&1 This network of students and health professionals aims to help health students successfully pursue a career in this industry5 Fn the Articles = Fnter1iews section, you can find lots of helpful information5 http@DDwww5studentdoctor5net &ational Pre"ed Consulting 4 The Top 7ive 8ualities of +uccessful 6octors Cind out which qualities you will need to be successful in this field5 http@DDwww5nationalpremedconsulting5comDarticlesDthe-top-fi1e-qualities-of-successful-doctors5php !ow+tuffWorks 4 !ow 5eco"ing a 6octor Works This in-depth guide from <owStuffWorks offers great information about becoming a doctor5 http@DDwww5howstuffworks5comDbecoming-a-doctor5htm Association of A"erican Medical Colleges 4 Medical College Ad"ission Test The official website of the M/AT e(am, which is mandatory to apply to medical schools5 /lick on About The M/AT '(am to learn more about the e(amination process5 http@DDwww5aamc5orgDstudentsDapplyingDmcat 'ccupational 'utlook !andbook 4 Physicians and +urgeons /areer information from the 0S )epartment of >abor5 http@DDwww5bls5go1DoohDhealthcareDphysicians-and-surgeons5htm