Is Anesthesiology the Career for You?
Anesthesiologists are highly skilled physicians who earn some of the highest salaries within the medical profession. In turn, they must be extremely knowledgeable and dedicated and possess several personal traits and qualities. Take the quiz below to see if you have what it takes to succeed in this career.
| Is science one of your favorite subjects? | Yes or No |
| Are you a good listener? | Yes or No |
| Are you detail-oriented? | Yes or No |
| Are you level-headed? | Yes or No |
| Is caring for others important to you? | Yes or No |
| Do you enjoy working as part of a team? | Yes or No |
| Are you okay working long, non-traditional hours? | Yes or No |
| Are you a skilled communicator? | Yes or No |
| Are you able to solve problems quickly and confidently? | Yes or No |
| Do you have manual dexterity? | Yes or No |
Learn Why These Questions Are Important
Is science one of your favorite subjects?
Aspiring anesthesiologists should have a natural aptitude for sciences. Excellence in high school courses like biology and chemistry are a strong foundation for pre-med undergraduate requirements, such as organic chemistry and physics, and the rigorous scientific study of medical school.
Are you a good listener?
Anesthesia is powerful medication that can be dangerous for patients with histories of drug interactions or other conditions. Anesthesiologists, therefore, must have outstanding listening skills when meeting with patients and physicians to assess what anesthesia to administer.
Are you detail-oriented?
Anesthesiologists have to pay close attention to the details of a patient's medical condition and history, their vital signs, and symptoms during recovery to administer anesthesia properly and avert potentially life-threatening complications.
Are you level-headed?
Emergencies can arise when treating patients in surgery, critical care units or other medical scenarios. Anesthesiologists have to remain calm and composed in stressful situations.
Is caring for others important to you?
As with any medical specialization, anesthesiologists are, ultimately, charged with taking care of patients. Genuine compassion and empathy are important qualities that can't be taught in school.
Do you enjoy working as part of a team?
Anesthesiologists work as part of a team of surgeons, doctors, nurses and other medical professionals to administer care to patients.
Are you okay working long, non-traditional hours?
Anesthesiology is not a 9 to 5 desk job. Expect long hours that may include nights and weekends, along with on-call requirements on your days off.
Are you a skilled communicator?
In this career, you will need outstanding verbal communication skills to educate patients about their anesthesia and explain complex procedures in easy-to-understand layman's terms.
Are you able to solve problems quickly and confidently?
Anesthesiologists often work in operating rooms or critical care situations in which they must respond quickly to problems and have good judgment and confidence in their decisions.
Do you have manual dexterity?
The administration of anesthesia requires the steady hand and coordination to complete tasks such as inserting catheters and intravenous lines.
How to Become An Anesthesiologist
If most of your answers were 'yes', you are on the right path in considering an anesthesiology career! Anesthesiologists must complete approximately 12 years of postsecondary education, including a bachelor's degree program, a medical program and an anesthesiology residency. After completing these requirements, you will need to be licensed by the state in which you practice.
