What degree is needed to become an anesthesiologist?

Answer 1

The career outlook for anesthesiologists, as well as physicians and surgeons, is expected to be great because the growing population will need more doctors to fulfill their health care needs. While there are no employment statistics specifically for this specialty, opportunities for physicians will increase 10% - 20% over the next decade. Specialists such as anesthesiologists will experience the greatest rise in employment in response to patient demand for access to specialty care. Technology will also play an important role in the increase in employment in this specialty. As anesthesiologists are able to perform more complex procedures, they will be able to treat conditions that were previously regarded as untreatable

Answer 2

As an anesthesiologist for the past 12 years, I have seen the demand for anesthesiologists swing widely. A great deal of the swing was related to factors which were unpredictable. Specifically, a workforce needs projection report in the early 90's predicted (incorrectly) that there was an oversupply of anesthesiologists. This lead to a sudden reduction in the number of medical graduates choosing to enter the field. In the years subsequent to this report, the number of anesthesiology residency graduates peaked, and then declined significantly. In fact, the need for anesthesiologists clearly exceeded the availability, and by the mid-90's, anesthesiologists were in demand, with starting salaries rising proportionally to the demand. Currently anesthesiologist employment outlook still is good although a multitude of factors may dramatically change this. Such factors include the ongoing decline in reimbursement of anesthesiollogists (and other medical specialities), a potential shift in the reimbursement structure to a single payor government system (thus basically making reimbursement non-negotiable), and the aging of the current population of anesthesiologists. Overall, in my opinion, the outlook for anesthesiologists as a medical specialty is somewhere between average to good. The outlook for medical specialties in general as far as income potential is poor to bleak.

Answer 3

A recognized medical degree from an accredited medical school such as a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) degree, a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degree, or a Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS/MBChB) degree must be earned. After that, a residency in anesthesiology must be completed and board certifications examinations must be successfully passed to become a board-certified anesthesiologist.

Answer 4

That is hard to say.

On the one hand there are a lot of pressures on the profession. "Off shoring" of some things like radiology and other services, encroachment by "mid-levels" such as nurse practitioners and other providers, more and more aggressive insurance companies and other large entities, and the obvious need to reduce costs are putting the squeeze on doctors.

On the other hand primary care, at least, is in the early stages of a shortage which will be massive in any scenario I can imagine.

My personal prediction is that in the end finances will win out (they always do). Just as is happening in every other sector of our economy American doctors will learn the hard way that they cannot command a high price for doing things that others can and will do more cheaply. This will primarily effect things like radiology and much less so things that must be done here and in person. Expensive elective surgeries may also more and more be done over seas.

For a time the better moneyed specialists, insurance companies, hospitals, and government will put a squeeze on primary care. Then the balance between supply and demand will shift so far in favor of primary care docs that people will be happy just to find one that will see them and will pay any price to make it happen. US insurers (including the largest one - US government) will also realize that every system that works in the world relies primarily on primary care docs to lead the way.

I figure it will take about 10 years to get there. If I was a college student considering a career in medicine I would look at either Internal medicine for its options or interventional radiology (and definitely not diagnostic radiology) as I think that is where procedures are headed.

Answer 5

In addition to providing a safe and comfortable situation for the patients we are keeping alive, we get to do a lot of cool things, like spinals, epidurals, nerve blocks, intubations, critical care medicine, pain management, central line and arterial line placement, and so on. We take care of patients from premature babies to the very elderly, from healthy to almost dead, and we do a remarkable job of keeping them alive during some very invasive surgeries.

Answer 6

The job outlook for doctors is very promising. There are very few people in the world who are trained to be doctors and this increases the demand for doctors.

Answer 7

no