What’s the fuss about Anesthesiologists

Anesthesiologist is a medical doctor specialising in the administration of anesthesia and pain medication before, during, and after a surgical procedure. Anesthesia is a type of restricted medicine that helps the patients feel numb and stress free during the procedure. To become an anesthesiologist, one must complete a college course and internship to obtain a degree and to practice the chosen field of medicine. Moreover, as part of their practice they should have enough knowledge about the different medicines, whether an anesthesia or not. Anesthesiologists are part of the surgery team in making sure that the patient will surpass the surgery and any other complications after the procedure.

Anesthesiologist – How to become one of them

Obtaining a degree as an anesthesiologist is not easy and it requires a lot of patience. People who are interested to become one should have a good background and interest in science and mathematics as early as high school. They need to finish a four-year premedical course in college and before they could enter to a medical school, they first need to pass the MCAT or Medical College Admission Test.

After passing the exam, they may now apply to medical schools wherein they will again study for another four years. However, applying in medical schools is very difficult and competitive because they need to submit their transcripts with high grades, their MCAT certificate, and a letter of recommendation. After schooling, they need to pass the licensing exam. Moreover, they will also have their postgraduate training or the residency training which usually take two to six year, wherein they will need to apply and practice all their learning from schooling into a real set up. They will be paid on this training but their skills and knowledge will be very much tested.

After years of studies, they need to pass another licensure exam to become a fully licensed anesthesiologist. Upon obtaining their licenses, they also have an option to take a sub-specialty like in cardiovascular or in pediatric for instance.

In some part of the world, like the United States, there are nurse anesthetists available. They are registered nurse who opts to advance their practice into the field of anesthesia. Obtaining this license is quite difficult too because on should spend some time to acquire this level and a lot of training and studies as well. They need to know the medicines of anesthesia just like an anesthesiologist.

Studying medicine and specializing anesthesia is not as easy as it looks. Aspirants should study the medicines, not only related to anesthesia but most of them. There are some drugs that interact with anesthesia so anesthesiologists must be aware of those to avoid any complications to the patient.

Responsibilities of an anesthesiologist

After knowing what an anesthesiologist is, it is now time to know what an anesthesiologist really does or their responsibilities. The following are just some of their responsibilities in and out of the theatre room.

• Like any other doctors of medicine, anesthesiologists also do patients assessment. Anesthesia is a very complicated medication so the doctor needs to assess the patient thoroughly to avoid any untoward effects. They need to check the patient’s respiratory and cardiovascular condition because these are the most affected during anesthesia administration.
• Upon assessing the patient, anesthesiologists are also responsible in explaining the patient what type of anesthesia is to be given and what the expected result are during and after anesthesia administration.
• Before the surgery, they need to check first if the patient has not taken anything by mouth, like food or drinks, because this may cause aspiration to the patient. Anesthesiologists also need to check if the patient has taken the pre-operation medication to help the patient feel less anxious about the upcoming operation.
• Anesthesiologists should also make sure that the patients are well comfortable at the operation table and make them less anxious.
• During the operation, they are also the one who monitor the patient every now and then. They are responsible in making sure the patient’s heart rate, breathing pattern, and the rest of the vital signs are stable during the whole operation. If there is any untoward patient’s reaction during the surgery, anesthesiologists are the first one to take action since they are the one controlling the breathing of the patient.
• They also need to inform the whole surgical team about the condition of the patient. This is because once there are any changes in the stability of patient’s vital signs; the operation must stop for a while until it’s stable again.
• If the operation requires confirmation of laterality, anesthesiologists should also need to confirm that the surgical team is taking the right side.
• They also need to keep a record of the patient’s condition during the whole procedure and the name and amount of anesthesia given to the patient.
• After the operation, anesthesiologist needs to make sure the patient will wake up from the anesthesia without any respiratory or cardiovascular complication.
• They are also the one responsible in giving high dosage pain medication, not only to patients who underwent an operation but also to cancer patients.
• Some anesthesiologists also do researches about other pain medications as the science advances. They also need to update themselves with all the medication and its advantages and disadvantages to the patient.
• They may also order laboratory exams to the patient and diagnose illnesses.
• Anesthesiologists are also expected to teach and impart knowledge to students and nurses about methods of anesthesia administration, its complications, and emergency ways to counteract the complication.

Career for an anesthesiologist

Anesthesiologist and other doctors would always be in demand because the society keeps on growing and they need doctors to make them well. Opportunities for them will continue to rise because science continues to grow and their specialty is very much needed not only for anesthesia administration but also for researches.

The salary of an anesthesiologist is really good and they are really pretty much paid. Anesthesiologists working in a hospital usually get $250,000 annually, and in some places like Los Angeles, they could earn as much as $300,000 per annum. Those with sub-specialty like in cardio or pediatric may earn much higher compared to ordinary anesthesiologists. They are also considered to be the highest paid employee in a hospital.

Location, sub-specialty, employer, and experience may affect the salary of an anesthesiologist.

Becoming an anesthesiologist is not really easy but once a person becomes one, everything will pay off. These people play a big role in the field of medicine, both in a hospital or in the research field. Moreover, aside from protecting patients from any harm, they also need to protect themselves and their license because their job is really complicated. A simple mistake can take a life of an individual. Defining an anesthesiologist would mean a lot, but what is an anesthesiologist in a simple word? He may be a doctor with tough job but with a big heart to serve other people.

On top of this, the salary of an anesthesiologist is fair enough because of the study and practice they had is very delicate and tricky as well.