Anesthesiology

Introduction:

Anesthesia or anesthetics is a medication plan that causes the patient to become unconscious so that he or she feels no pain while a surgery is performed. An anesthetist, also called an anesthesiologist is a physician who makes anesthesia related medical decisions and is responsible for the safety and well being of the patient. Anesthesiologists are trained licensed medical doctors who perform anesthesia techniques. In other words, an anesthesiologist is a medical doctor who cares for a patient before, during and immediately following a surgical or medical procedure by administering appropriate anesthesia.

Anesthesiologist is an important person in a surgical team. Without anesthesiologists, surgery would be impossible in most cases.

Work hours for anesthesiologists are normally very long and irregular. They do not have any fixed working hours and hence the work can be stressful. During operations, they may be required to stand for long periods of time. Many anesthesiologists are on call at all times at any hour, day or night, meaning they may have to drop everything at any given time and rush to the hospital for an emergency.

Eligibility:

Educational

To pursue anesthesiology, one needs a strong background in Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Mathematics. Like any other physician, Anesthesiologists too require a long period of medical training. After 10+2 one has to apply to medical colleges to pursue MBBS degree, admission to which is based on scores of entrance test and marks of plus two. Next step after MBBS is one year house surgency followed by M.D in anesthesiology which is usually of 2 years duration.

Besides anesthesiology, an anesthesiologist must also study cardiology, critical care medicine, internal medicine, pharmacology, and surgery. An anesthesiologist may choose to specialize in a particular field, such as neuro surgery, cardiac and thoracic surgery, maxillofacial surgery and so on. They need to continuously update their knowledge and skills through professional seminars and continuing educational courses.

Job Prospects and Career Options:

Ø  Career prospects for anesthesiologists are always booming, since every hospital will require a team of anesthesiologists who are experienced and dedicated.

Ø  One of the first and foremost duties of an anesthesiologist is to administer an anesthetic to a person undergoing a surgical treatment. This means giving the patient the necessary medicine to help them feel no pain while undergoing surgery. Anesthesiology is a lot more team oriented than any other medical specialties

Ø  Anesthesiologists also work outside the operating room, such as in: The Intensive Care Unit (ICU), where they administer pain relief to critically ill patients while helping to restore them to a stable condition. Pain management, where they are involved in the diagnosis and treatment of patients who suffer from acute and chronic illnesses. During labour and delivery, they provide pain relief to the mother.

Other careers in the field of anesthesiology:

• Anesthesiologist Assistant (AAs)
• Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA)
• Anesthesia Technician (AT)

Remuneration:

The salary ranges according to the geographic region, experience and sub-specialty. In India, an Anesthesiologist may start his career with a minimum pay scale of Rs 20,000 to 30,000 per month depending upon the medical organization they work for. Generally pay is much more in corporate hospitals than in government hospitals. After being established in the field, one can work on an hourly basis too, and in this case pay is much lucrative.

Courses:

 » MD Anesthesiology

 » Diploma in Anesthesiology

 » DNB Anesthesiology

     

Share this: