Research Assessment #5

Date: November 16, 2017

Subject: Anesthesiology
MLA Citations: “How to Prepare for a Career in Anesthesiology.” American Society of
Anesthesiologists, www.asahq.org/resources/career-resources/anesthesia-as-a-career/how-to-
prepare-for-a-career-in-anesthesiology.
Analysis:
Slowly but surely my attention is shifting toward anesthesiology. I like the idea that I still
help in surgeries, but I do not work as much as the surgeon. I will still have time to do things I
like. I love to play chess and spend time with friends. After speaking with Dr. Maxey, I learned
about how neurosurgeons will have no time and how anesthesiologists will have a lot more time.
I also learned about the job security of an anesthesiologist, as the jobs in that field are expected
to grow about 21%. For my undergraduate studies, which are coming close, I will focus on my
core science classes. Medical schools take a normal college GPA and a science GPA. It is
important to keep a good GPA, so I will study everyday at the library for 4-5 hours.
After undergraduate studies, it takes four years in residency to become an
anesthesiologist. You can then complete a year of fellowship to specialize in pain management,
critical care medicine, and research or education. Medical school will help students experience
all sorts of specialties. Students are drawn to anesthesiology because of the patient to physician
interaction. “Anesthesiologists' training overlaps into internal medicine, critical care, obstetrics
and pain medicine, while dealing with emergency cases, organ transplants and all types of
surgeries.” Most anesthesiologists are board certified, which means that they must takes board
exams and pass them.
I learned a lot more about anesthesiology with this research. To begin, I learned about
how hard it is to find a residency for anesthesiology, as there are limited residency positions
available. It is definitely a hard job to get and I will have to face many hardships along the way,
but I have learned to persevere. ISM will really help me in this process of learning a lot and
being prepared for college, as college is the path that will allow me to become a doctor.
Article:

How to Prepare for a Career in Anesthesiology

High School
High school students can prepare for a medical career by concentrating on advanced science classes such as biology and
chemistry. Volunteer or work at a hospital to receive first-hand experience working around healthcare professionals and patients.

Undergraduate Studies
College students interested in a medical career should complete liberal arts requirements but plan a pre-med course of study.
Nearly all accredited colleges offer standard pre-med curricula, which include calculus, general chemistry, organic chemistry,
biology and physics. Academic majors are unrelated to admission to medical school. Students must successfully complete a four
year undergraduate college program before entering medical school. Commented [PK1]: I must prepare myself for lots of core
science classes, as it will be important for a separate college gpa.
An easy way to determine if you have an interest in medicine and anesthesiology is to read more about it. Most colleges and
universities have subscriptions to popular anesthesia journals and texts in their collection. One key book to read is Miller's
Anesthesia. The Wood Library-Museum of Anesthesiology www.woodlibrarymuseum.org, located at the ASA Headquarters in
Schaumburg, Ill., is an extensive source for anesthesia knowledge.

Medical School
After completing a four year bachelor's degree, students then take four years of graduate education leading to a degree in
medicine (M.D.) or osteopathy (D.O.). After receiving a medical degree, students must complete four more years in an Commented [PK2]: Both an M.D. or D.O. are actually
anesthesiology residency. Some residents take one more year of study or fellowship, in a specific area of anesthesiology such as considered equal, as neither of them are bad.
critical care medicine, pain medicine, research or education.
Commented [PK3]: Pain management seems like an interesting
way to go about it.
There is one important decision you must make before deciding to become an anesthesiologist: Do you want to become a
physician? Medical school is designed to give students the widest range of choices, rotating them through all the different areas
of medicine. Some medical students find that they are drawn to anesthesiology because of its intense doctor patient relationships
combined with cutting edge technology in a fast paced environment. Anesthesiologists' training overlaps into internal medicine, Commented [PK4]: Both of which I like. I am still unsure about
critical care, obstetrics and pain medicine, while dealing with emergency cases, organ transplants and all types of surgeries. the high technology part, as I am interested in technology, but bad
at using it.
There is a wealth of information available from the Association of American Medical Colleges www.aamc.org, including a
complete listing of medical schools. Students considering enrollment in a medical school are often required to take the Medical
College Admission Test (MCAT), as part of their admission process.

Upon completion of medical school, United States students participate in the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP),
also called "the Match." This is when students who want a particular school are matched with residency programs looking for a
particular type of student. ASA has information about previous NRMP results for review. A list of all United States
anesthesiology residency programs is available at www.aapd-saac.org under members.

The ASA Medical Student Membership offers a glimpse of the profession, even before deciding on an anesthesiology specialty.
Contact the ASA Membership Department or a member of the Medical Student Component Governing Council for more
information.

Residency Program
After medical school, a physician choosing anesthesiology as his or her specialty completes a year of internship and then three
years of residency. Physician training programs in the United States require four years of residency training for board
certification eligibility in anesthesiology (usually one year of general medical, pediatric, or surgical training followed by three
years of clinical anesthesiology training under the tutelage of experienced anesthesiologists, usually faculty at medical school
hospitals.)

After residency, many anesthesiologists complete an additional fellowship year of subspecialty training in areas such as pain
management, cardiac anesthesiology, pediatric anesthesiology, neuro-anesthesiology, obstetric anesthesiology or critical care
medicine. Commented [PK5]: I plan to figure out specific field I enter in
college, as residency is best time to figure this out.
Following successful completion of a residency program in anesthesiology, residents are eligible to sit for the American Board of
Anesthesiology (ABA) examination. Almost 75 percent of anesthesiologists are board certified, meaning they have passed the
written and oral examinations. All anesthesiologists must be licensed to practice medicine in their state. Additional certification is
available from the ABA in critical care and pain management.

Additional information about the ASA Resident Component can be found here.

Anesthesiologist Assistants
All AAs possess a pre-med background, a baccalaureate degree, and also complete a comprehensive didactic and clinical
program at the graduate school level. AAs are trained extensively in the delivery and maintenance of quality anesthesia care as Commented [PK6]: Lots of studying will be required for this
well as advanced patient monitoring techniques. job, as I must take several tests.

Upon completion of an accredited AA program, a student may become certified by passing the National Commission for
Certification of Anesthesiologist Assistants examination www.aa-nccaa.org. The examination is administered and scored by the
National Board of Medical Examiners as part of services contracted to NCCAA. Performance information for test items and the
overall exam are provided by NBME. NCCAA uses this data to set the passing score and provides notification of certification.