What Education Do You Need to Become an Anesthesiologist?
- Get a good grade point average in high school or earn a GED. This will enable you to attend the college of your choice. Good all-around academic performance is required, though earning good grades in the sciences will stand you in good stead.
- Earn a bachelor's degree. No particular major is mandatory, though candidates typically choose sciences such as physics, chemistry or biology. You should also take courses in mathematics and English as well as any available pre-med courses.
- Take the Medical Admission Test (MCAT) in your final year of college. Passing this exam will enable you to apply to the medical schools of your choice. To find a medical school, check the website of the Association of American Medical Colleges (aamc.org), where you can search U.S. medical schools by state. Competition for medical school is fierce, so be prepared to submit written statements, references, college results and attend an interview.
- Typically lasting four years, a course at medical school trains you in all aspects of medicine, not just anesthesiology. The course combines practical instruction from qualified physicians in hospitals and clinics with classroom and laboratory work. It is best to attend a program that carries the accreditation of the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, which the industry considers the standard-bearer for medical education. Employers will look more favorably upon candidates who have attended an accredited course.
- After medical school, you must undertake a general medical residency. This is effectively a salary-paying job that also entails further study and examination. Usually lasting five years, this residency gives you a good grounding in many aspects of medicine before you specialize in anesthesiology. To progress to a specialty, you will need a general practitioner's license from your state. Completing a medical residency is a necessary preliminary step.
- After obtaining your general medical practitioner's license, you can then apply to undertake a residency in your preferred speciality, anesthesiology. This lasts between two and three years and involves practical instruction from a qualified anesthesiologist in a clinical setting and further theoretical study in the classroom. When the residency concludes, you will take written exams which the American Board of Anesthesiology administers. When you have successfully completed these examinations and any further exams certain states require, you will then obtain your anesthesiologist license and begin practicing.
