Anesthesiologist Career

According to Monica Winefryde Furlong (a respected anesthesiologist and author of “Going Under: Preparing Yourself for Anesthesia”), over 40 million Americans undergo anesthesia for myriads of medical procedures spanning several areas including surgery, obstetrics and dentistry. A lot of medical interventions would be impossible without the aid of anesthetics. As a result of this, there is an increasing demand for anesthesiologist careers.

What is an Anesthesiologist?

An anesthesiologist can be defined simply as a medical practitioner or physician trained in and responsible for the administration of anesthesia to patients. Anesthesiologists play a vital role in the care and treatment of patients especially during surgery by ensuring that the surgical patient’s vitals are kept properly functioning during the course of surgery and also relieved of any pain.

Anesthesiologist Job Duties

The job duties of an anesthesiologist comprises of several aspects. Basically, the primary responsibilities involve the sustenance of the patient’s vital signs during surgery such as heart rate, pulse rate, body temperature and respiration rate. Outside the theatre, anesthesiologists are also responsible for pain relief and are vital to the implementation of any medical procedure on patients.

Anesthesiologist Skills

An anesthesiologist needs to be attentive to the minutest of details in order to successfully safeguard the patient’s life. This is because even the slightest variation can determine whether the patient will survive or not. Additionally an anesthesiologist career requires good relational and leadership skills in order to work efficiently with and coordinate other members of the team.

Anesthesiologist Education

In order to qualify as an anesthesiologist, the first requirement is a medical degree and the attendant internships. After this the person has to complete two to three years residency program in the anesthesiology department of a hospital to qualify as an anesthesiologist. In addition to the formal education, an anesthesiologist must also pass the USMLE (United States Medical Licensing Examination).

Anesthesiologist Salary

Medical practitioners, surgeons and physicians typically earn the highest income in the country. Furthermore, private practitioners in the US typically earn more than those in salaried positions. According to a 2010 salary report by Locum Tenens, the average salary for anesthesiologist careers was pegged at $362, 450. For anesthesiologists with at least 10 years of experience, the average salary is about $377, 121.

Anesthesiologist Job Outlook

Several factors support a favorable outlook for careers in anesthesiologist. Chief amongst these is the fact that the health and health related sector is expanding and as such there is an increased demand for health or medical professionals in all fields. Additionally, a lot of practitioners are expected to retire between now and 2018 thereby opening up positions.

Undoubtedly, pursuing a career in anesthesiology is grueling and expensive. According to a report By the AAMC, about 85 percent of both public and private medical school graduates had educational debts to offset. However, adequate financial remuneration and job security is available and these factors provide immense reward and relief for the rigors of the program.