Here’s a brief list of what Anesthesiologists do:

• Pre-Anesthetic Assessment: Conducting pre-operative evaluations to assess patients' medical history, current health status, and anesthesia requirements.

• Anesthetic Planning: Formulating individualized anesthesia plans based on patient factors, surgical procedures, and anticipated physiological responses.

• Anesthetic Administration: Administering anesthesia medications to induce and maintain unconsciousness, sedation, or pain relief during surgical procedures.

• Airway Management: Managing and maintaining the patient's airway, including intubation (inserting a breathing tube) and ensuring proper ventilation during surgery.

• Intraoperative Monitoring: Monitoring vital signs, anesthesia depth, fluid balance, and patient responses throughout the surgical procedure to ensure safety and optimal anesthesia management.

• Anesthesia Reversal: Administering medications to reverse the effects of anesthesia and facilitate the patient's recovery from anesthesia after surgery.

• Pain Management: Providing post-operative pain management through medications, regional anesthesia techniques (e.g., nerve blocks), and epidural analgesia to control pain and promote comfort.

• Critical Care: Providing anesthesia and critical care management for patients in intensive care units (ICUs) or emergency settings, including resuscitation and life support measures.

Here’s how YOU can become one:

1. Educational Preparation:

• Bachelor’s Degree: Start by earning a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university. While specific majors are not always required, coursework in biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics (including calculus), and English is beneficial. Maintain a high GPA and take challenging courses to prepare for medical school admission.

• Prerequisite Courses: Complete prerequisite courses required for medical school admission, which typically include biology, chemistry (including organic chemistry), physics, and mathematics. Some medical schools may also require courses in English, biochemistry, and psychology.

2. Medical School (MD or DO):

• Medical School Admission: Apply to and attend an accredited medical school to earn a Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) degree. Admission to medical school is competitive and based on factors such as GPA, MCAT scores, letters of recommendation, personal statement, and interview performance.

• Medical School Curriculum: Complete a 4-year medical school program that includes classroom instruction in basic medical sciences (anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, pathology, microbiology, etc.) and clinical rotations in various medical specialties, including surgery, internal medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics/gynecology, psychiatry, and anesthesia.

3. Residency Training in Anesthesiology:

• Residency Program: After graduating from medical school, complete a 4-year residency program in anesthesiology accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) or the American Osteopathic Association (AOA). Anesthesiology residency programs provide comprehensive training in perioperative patient care, pain management, critical care medicine, and regional anesthesia techniques.

• Clinical Experience: Gain extensive hands-on experience through supervised clinical rotations in operating rooms, intensive care units (ICUs), pain clinics, and other healthcare settings where anesthesia services are provided.

4. Fellowship Training (Optional):

• Optional Fellowship: Consider pursuing additional fellowship training to specialize in a subspecialty of anesthesiology, such as pediatric anesthesia, obstetric anesthesia, cardiovascular anesthesia, neuroanesthesia, pain medicine, or critical care medicine. Fellowships typically last 1-2 years and provide advanced training and clinical experience in your chosen subspecialty.

5. Obtain Medical Licensure:

• Medical Licensing Examination: Pass the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) or the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination (COMLEX-USA) to obtain a medical license to practice medicine in your state.

• State Licensure: Apply for a state medical license through your state medical board. Licensure requirements vary by state but generally include completing medical school, passing the licensing exams, completing residency training, and meeting continuing medical education (CME) requirements.

6. Board Certification:

• Become Board Certified: Obtain board certification in anesthesiology through the American Board of Anesthesiology (ABA) or the American Osteopathic Board of Anesthesiology (AOBA). Board certification demonstrates your expertise and competence in anesthesiology practice and may be required for hospital privileges and employment.

• Maintenance of Certification: Maintain board certification by participating in continuing medical education (CME) activities and passing periodic recertification exams as required by the certifying board.

  This is a very brief and general plan. To know your specific academic path for this career please talk to an advisor at the college or program you plan on attending!