| Challenge, opportunity for growth in an expanding field,
and professional and personal satisfaction are offered to
those who enter the specialty of anesthesiology. |
Anesthesiologists are multiskilled physician specialists with
strong backgrounds in the principles of physiology, pharmacology,
internal medicine, critical care medicine, pain management and
surgical procedures. They apply their knowledge of medicine to
fulfill their primary role in the operating room. Traditionally,
that role has been understood to include providing for the comfort
of the patient by anesthetizing the pain of surgery. Yet it is
the anesthesiologist's foremost purpose and concern to protect
the patient's well-being and safety during and after surgery.
The anesthesiologist must make informed medical judgments to
manage and support the patient's critical life functions
breathing, heart rate and heart rhythm, blood pressure, body temperature
as they are affected throughout surgical, obstetrical or
other medical procedures.
The role of the anesthesiologist also extends beyond the operating
room and recovery room. Anesthesiologists use their expertise
in intensive care units to help restore critically ill patients
to stable condition. In addition, they are often involved in the
management of acute postoperative pain and chronic pain, in cardiac
and respiratory resuscitation, in the treatment of various fluid,
electrolyte and metabolic disturbances, and in the application
of specific methods of respiratory therapy. These diverse areas
of expertise further provide a wide variety of teaching and research
opportunities.
Physicians who enter the field of anesthesiology may become
involved in one or more of the different subspecialties, including
pain management, respiratory therapy, cardiovascular, neurosurgical,
critical care, obstetrical, ambulatory, pediatric and regional
anesthesia. All are unique facets of this versatile medical specialty.
How much training is involved?
After completing a four-year undergraduate college program and
four years of graduate doctoral education, the physician specializing
in anesthesiology must spend one year training in clinical medicine
other than anesthesiology and complete three more years of training
in an anesthesiology residency program accredited by the Accreditation
Council for Graduate Medical Education. Following completion of
this education, the physician is eligible to enter the examination
and certification system of the American Board of Anesthesiology.
How do I choose a residency program?
More than 150 anesthesia medical residency programs are listed
in the Directory of Graduate Medical Education Programs. You may
wish to request information directly from the Program Directors.
Find out if subspecialties are represented in the program, if
faculty members are accessible for consultations, how often teaching
conferences and case reviews are offered, and if teaching is done
in the operating room.
What will my practice be like?
You may choose to establish an individual practice, join a group
with an established practice or become affiliated with a medical
center or hospital. Furthermore, with the recent advances of outpatient
surgical techniques and procedures, there are hospital-affiliated
ambulatory care clinics and freestanding surgicenters that require
the services of anesthesiologists. Opportunities are available
to provide your expertise in any number of specialized areas.
Is there much doctor/patient interaction?
Anesthesiologists, as a rule, make it a point to meet each patient
before a nonemer-gency surgical procedure. This allows them an
opportunity to evaluate the patient's condition, obtain pertinent
information on the patient's medical history and recent medications,
discuss the anesthetic choices, their risks and benefits, answer
questions about the anesthesia or the surgery, and generally allay
the patient's natural anxieties. The anesthesiologist also serves
as that patient's advocate once he or she has entered the operating
room. It is natural, then, that intense, short-term doctor/patient
relationships develop with surgical and obstetrical patients.
Certainly, longer, more personalized doctor/patient interactions
occur when treating patients with chronic pain or in critical
care units.
Do anesthesiologists work long hours?
Sometimes. Most often the work schedule is regular and preplanned.
Many anesthesiologists work in group practice situations, and
those anesthesiologists in solo practice usually share coverage
for emergency surgery.
How important is teamwork?
In solo or group practice, teamwork is a major part of the anesthesiologist's
life. Whether a vital part of a surgical team, a member of an
interdisciplinary group of diagnosticians at a pain clinic, or
a partner on a research team or teaching faculty, an anesthesiologist
works continuously with a variety of medical professionals.
Are anesthesiologists in demand?
Yes. As one of the fastest growing medical specialties in recent
years, anesthesiology continues to attract new physicians to its
ranks, and not just young residents starting out in their chosen
field. With all the recent advances and exciting developments
in the specialty, even well-established general practitioners
and surgeons have studied to become anesthesiologists. And with
the continuing need for more anesthesiologists comes the flexibility
in the type of practice, a variety of geographic locations and
an income comparable to other medical specialties.
How can I learn more?
Talk to anesthesiologists in your community. Read various anesthesiology
journals. Visit medical schools and hospitals with residency programs
in anesthesiology. You also may wish to contact or visit the Wood
Library-Museum of Anesthesiology for reference
or reading materials. The Wood Library-Museum is located within
the Executive Office of the American Society of Illinois.
The anesthesiologist is a vital member of the surgical team
with the critical responsibility for the patient's welfare when
undergoing anesthesia. This important physician specialist must
have the cool-headed courage necessary to react quickly to life-threatening
situations in the operating room, the interpersonal skills to
advise and comfort patients pre- and postoperatively, and the
emotional stamina to treat patients with acute and chronic pain.
| Upon accepting the challenge, the anesthesiologist
can find diversity and flexibility in practice and rewards
as the patient's advocate in the operating room. |
|