How to Become a Physician Anesthesiologist
A physician anesthesiologist assists patients with pain management during surgical procedures and works with patients with chronic diseases. Anesthesiologists must monitor the patients' vital signs during these procedures. They often consult with other physicians on appropriate pain management for patients. The road to becoming a physician anesthesiologist is a long one, but it can be very rewarding to see patients you have helped get through those difficult times .
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Instructions
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Take lots of science and math courses in high school. Study biology, chemistry, algebra, statistics and physics. Start practicing good study skills now. You will need these later on.
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Earn a bachelor's degree and make excellent grades. Earning a degree in a science subject will help you succeed in medical school later. Now is also the time to start studying medical school texts to make sure medicine is the field you want to be in.
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Gain volunteer experience in a hospital setting. Medical schools like to see that you have experience working around medical professionals. During this time you can interview anesthesiologists to see what they do. This will help you decide if it is the right field for you. Medical school will allow you to experience many physician specialties, so you do not have to decide now.
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Research medical schools and compile a list of the ones you'd most like to attend. Note all the entrance requirements for each school. Ensure you have met all class prerequisites and gained volunteer experience if necessary.
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Take the Medical College Admissions Test. Study hard because the higher the score, the better your chances are of being accepted into your first choice in medical schools.
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Apply to all the medical schools on your list. Since you may not get your first few choices of medical schools, be sure to have some backup schools you would still be happy to attend.
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Complete four years of medical school. Continue to keep your grades up. Competition is keen for accredited anesthesiology residencies.
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Complete a four-year residency in anesthesiology from an accredited residency program. The first year of residency will focus on general medicine or surgical procedures. The following three years will spent on clinical anesthesiology training.
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Decide if you want to pursue a subspecialty of anesthesiology or begin practicing. This will require completing a one-year fellowship in one of the subspecialties. A physician anesthesiologist can specialize in obstetrics, pediatrics, cardiology, pain management, critical care management or neuroanesthesiology.
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Pass the American Board of Anesthesiology certification exam to be become an anesthesiologist.
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Tips & Warnings
Manage your time efficiently. Put your studies first.
Resources
- Photo Credit Photo by Zarko Kecman
