Anesthesiologist Career

anesthesiologist-500Anesthesiologists are physicians that administer sedation or anesthesia to patients during a surgery or other medical procedure. After they administer the anesthesia or sedation, they will monitor patients all throughout the procedure. If complications occur, the anesthesiologist will use measures to counteract the negative reaction.

As an anesthesiologist, you will most likely work indoors in a temperature-controlled environment. The work often involves a lot of contact with others, as you will record medical histories, physically prepare patients for surgeries, and administer sedatives and anesthetics.

Anesthesiologist Career Snapshot

Most anesthesiologists will work in a hospital or ambulatory surgery clinic. The average anesthesiologist will work more than a 40-hour work week.

Further details on a career as an anesthesiologist are listed below (statistics from the May 2015 Bureau of Labor Statistics and Onet Online):

$358,638

is the average yearly salary according to salary.com

14%

increase in employment between 2014 and 2024.

69%

have Post-Doctoral training while 25% have a Doctoral degree.

Anesthesiologist Education

The academic path from aspiring physician to practicing anesthesiologist is a challenging and demanding one. As a doctor, you will need four years of undergraduate education and four years of medical school. To become an anesthesiologist, you will also need 4 to 7 years in an anesthesiology internship and residency.

Anesthesiologist Job Duties

Anesthesiologists give sedatives and anesthetics to patients to keep pain levels under control during medical procedures. Before the surgery begins, the anesthesiologist will take down the medical history of the patient and perform tasks to physically prepare them for the upcoming procedure. During the treatment, anesthesiologists will monitor the patient and implement life-saving procedures if needed.

Anesthesiologist Salaries

Anesthesiologists are paid a median salary of $358,658 according to salary reports from salary.com. Those receiving salaries in the top 10 percent of the pay range were paid $450,205. Those earning salaries in the lowest 10 percent of the pay range were paid a median salary of $267,063. An anesthesiologist’s salary will often depend on their years of professional experience and level of expertise.

Anesthesiologist Job Outlook

Experts expect the employment of physicians, including anesthesiologists, to grow by about 14 percent until 2024. This growth will occur at a much faster rate than many other occupations. This robust job growth is because the growing baby boomer population will need a lot of medical attention in the coming years.

Anesthesiologist Skills & Traits

Anesthesiologist Skill Set:Required Abilities:Tools Used by Anesthesiologist:Typical Work Activities:
• Critical Thinking
• Active Listening
• Making Decisions
• Monitoring
• Complex Problem Solving
• Problem Sensitivity
• Deductive Reasoning
• Oral Comprehension
• Inductive Reasoning
• Written Comprehension
• Arterial line catheters
• Heart rate monitors
• Electronic stethoscopes
• Endotracheal or tracheotomy sets
• Gas anesthesia apparatus
• Decision Making
• Caring for Others
• Getting Information
• Using Relevant Knowledge
• Evaluating Compliance

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