MEDICAL SCHOOL
After completing a four-year bachelor's degree, students then
take four years of graduate education leading to a degree in medicine
(M.D.) or osteopathy (D.O.). They spend four more years in an
anesthesiology residency (there are about 160 anesthesiology medical
residency programs in the United States). Some residents take
one more year of study, called a fellowship, in a specific area
of anesthesiology such as critical care medicine, pain medicine,
research or education.
There is one important decision you must make before deciding
to become an anesthesiologist: Do you want to become a physician?
Medical school is designed to give students the widest range of
choices, rotating them through all the different areas of medicine.
Some medical students will find that they are drawn to anesthesiology
because of its intense doctor-patient relations combined with
the use of cutting-edge technologies and a fast-paced environment.
They will find that anesthesiologists' training overlaps into
internal medicine, critical care, obstetrics and pain medicine,
to name a few, and deals with emergency cases, organ transplants
and all types of surgeries--from head to toe.
There is a wealth of information available from the Association
of American Medical Colleges , including
a complete listing of medical
schools. Students considering enrollment
in a medical school are often required to take the Medical
College Admission Test (MCAT), as part of
their admission decision process.
Upon completion of medical school, students in the United States
participate in what is called the National Residency Matching
Program (NRMP), also called "the Match." This is when
students who want a particular school are "matched"
with residency programs looking for that type of student. ASA
has information about previous
NRMP results
that you can review. For a list of all anesthesiology
residency programs in the United States, check out: www.aapd-saac.org and click on "Members."
ASA is proud to be able to offer a "Medical
Student Membership" that allows med
students to have a glimpse of the profession, even before
deciding if anesthesiology is the specialty they wish to
pursue. For more information about the benefits of Medical
Student Membership, vist the Medical Student Delegation Web Site or contact the ASA
Membership Department.
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