Why I Want To Be An Anesthesiologist

Being an anesthesiologist is a rigorous job, but the rewards are great. Anesthesiologists are Doctors of Medicine that administer anesthetics to surgical patients to relieve their pain (2). Anesthesiologists have a desire to serve patients, are self-motivated, and can handle the pressure of long hours (1). More than 90% of anesthetics used in health care are administered by anesthesiologists (3). High school courses should focus on algebra, biology, chemistry, geometry, physics, trigonometry, anatomy, humanities, psychology, and computer skills (2). After high school the general road map is four years of undergraduate school, four years, of medical school, and three to eight years of internship and residency (1). Some schools combine

The average residency lasts about four years (1). During the last few years of residency, one can enter a fellowship program (6). A fellowship program is intensive study in a single subject of anesthesiology (6). Some of these subjects include pediatric, cardiothoracic, trauma, obstetric, research, and pain medicine (1) (6). The main goal of residency is working towards becoming certified by the American Society of Anesthesiologists or the American Board of Anesthesiology (2). To become certified the graduate must pass an exam comprised of and oral and written section, about 200-250 multiple choice questions (6). The majority of anesthesiologists work in hospitals and outpatient surgical centers (2). Some work in private or group practices, urgent care, or even the military (2). They are required to work long, hectic hours and 1/3 of anesthesiologists work 60 hours a week or more (2). Some of the tools that anesthesiologists work with are catheters, heart rate and invasive hemodynamic pressure monitors, digital anesthesia monitors, endotracheal or tracheotomy sets, electronic stethoscopes and accessories, electronic mail software, and medical software

In the operating room they work as a part of a team with the surgeons and nurses (3). It’s the job of the anesthesiologist to position the patient on the operating table (5). They coordinate the administration of anesthetics with the surgeons and decide what type and method to use (5). The methods of delivering anesthetics are local, intravenous, and caudal (5). The anesthesiologist is responsible for the patient’s life functions during the operation and their vital signs such as heart rate, blood pressure, breathing and kidney functions (3). Anesthesia is adjusted according to vital signs (3). After surgery they administer medications to reverse the effects of the anesthesia returning the patient to consciousness (3). They are still responsible for vital signs of the patient in the recovery room (3). In the recovery room the anesthesiologist directs the nurses and health care providers (5). The anesthesiologist determines when a patient is stable enough to leave the recovery room