How to Become an Anesthesiologist

An anesthesiologist manages a patient's heart rate, body temperature, blood pressure and breathing during surgery. The must be able to pay attention for long periods of time, make decisions quickly, and work long and irregular hours. This page will walk you through the process of how to become anesthesiologist, beginning with actions you can take in high school.
Tips on Becoming an Anesthesiologist
1. Take advanced-placement math and science in high school
2. Obtain a bachelor's degree
3. Consider majoring in science during college
4. Select a college with a good record of getting students into medical school
5. Maintain a high GPA
6. Take the MCATs during your junior year

An anesthesiologist manages a patient's heart rate, body temperature, blood pressure and breathing during surgery. He or she must be able to pay attention for long periods of time, make decisions quickly, and work long and irregular hours. This page will walk you through the process of how to become an anesthesiologist, beginning with actions you can take in high school.
Tips on Becoming an Anesthesiologist
1. Take advanced-placement math and science in high school
2. Obtain a bachelor's degree
3. Consider majoring in science during college
4. Select a college with a good record of getting students into medical school
5. Maintain a high GPA
6. Take the MCATs during your junior year
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Introduction
- An anesthesiologist is the medical professional who assumes control of the patient's vital functions while a surgeon operates. Anesthesiologists also practice pain relief in a variety of medical situations.National Institutes of Health: Anesthesiologist Upon completing high school, would-be anesthesiologists' training generally takes approximately 12 years: four years of college, four years of med school and four years of residency.Yale University: Program Overview
Step 1: Prepare in High School
- Although medical schools don't usually look at your high school transcript when making admissions decisions, you can use these years to build a good foundation for your future career.College Confidential: Pre-Med Extracurriculars in High School?
1. The National Institutes of Health recommends that students planning on becoming anesthesiologists take biology, mathematics, English, chemistry, and physics in high school.National Institutes of Health: Education Required
2. Take advanced placement or college level math and science courses if possible.Peterson's: Prepping for Med School in High School
3. Volunteer in a medical office, or take advantage of a job shadowing program.Peterson's: Prepping for Med School in High School
Step 2: Obtain Your Bachelor's Degree
- Medical schools generally require a four-year college degree. They also want to see you maintain a high GPA throughout college.
Selecting a College
- The Association of American Medical Colleges has some suggestions that will help you select a school that will prepare you well for medical school.AAMC: Considering Medical School
1. Select a college with a reputation for high academic standards, particularly in science.AAMC: Considering Medical School
2. Make sure the science department has up-to-date laboratory facilities.AAMC: Considering Medical School
3. The school should offer all of the courses that medical schools require for admission.AAMC: Considering Medical School
4. A pre-med or pre-health advising program can help make sure you're prepared for med school. These programs can identify internship opportunities, as well as help you manage the medical school application process.AAMC: Considering Medical School
5. Investigate the college's medical school acceptance rate.AAMC: Considering Medical School
- If you are a strong student, and certain you wish to pursue a medical career, you may want to apply to colleges that offer a combined program granting both an undergraduate and a medical degree in six years rather than eight.National Institutes of Health: Education Required There are also programs that admit you to medical school at the same time you are admitted to an undergraduate program. These programs are only available to the most qualified students.
While Earning Your Bachelor's Degree
- Admission to one of the United States' 146 medical schools is highly competitive, so you'll need to begin preparing for acceptance as early as possible in your college career.National Institutes of Health: Education Required
1. Most colleges don't offer pre-med majors; students anticipating medical school generally major in math or science.
2. Medical schools also require courses in the social sciences and humanities.National Institutes of Health: Education Required
3. Maintain a high GPA. 3.0 is generally the minimum required for medical school admission.Med School Ready: GPA MCAT
4. Participate in extracurricular opportunities that allow you to develop and demonstrate leadership skills.AAMC: Considering Medical School
5. Take advantage of opportunities to volunteer in medical situations, or job shadow a doctor, to gain experience and strengthen your medical school application.
6. Prepare for and take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) during your junior year of college.Med School Ready: GPA MCAT
7. Begin applying to medical schools near the end of your junior year.
Step 3: Attend Medical School
- The four years you spend in medical school will lay the foundation for the actual anesthesia training you'll receive when you enter a residency after graduation.
1. The first two years of medical school will be spent in the classroom and the lab learning topics such as:
  1. Pharmacology
  2. Anatomy
  3. Biochemistry
  4. Physiology
  5. Psychology
  6. Microbiology
  7. Pathology
  8. Immunology
  9. Histology
  10. Medical ethicsBureau of Labor Statistics: Physicians and Surgeons Training
2. The first half of medical school also provides training in how to take medical histories, examine patients, and diagnose illness.National Institutes of Health: Education Required
3. During the second half of medical school you'll begin to use some of what you studied in the first half on clinical rotations in various medical specialties.Bureau of Labor Statistics: Physicians and Surgeons Training
4. In your second and fourth years, you'll take medical licensing exams.USMLE: Test Content & Practice Materials
Step 4: Complete an Anesthesiology Residency
- Intensive training in anesthesiology begins after you graduate from medical school. You'll learn to be an anesthesiologist during your residency, which usually takes four years to complete.American Board of Anesthesiology: Booklet of Information
1. The Clinical Base Year is the first year of an anesthesiology residency.
  1. It includes at least six months of diagnosis and treatment of patients with a variety of medical and surgical problems, only one month of which may involve the administration of anesthesia.American Board of Anesthesiology: Booklet of Information
  2. The other six months of the Clinical Base Year must include rotations in both critical care and emergency medicine, each lasting one to two months.American Board of Anesthesiology: Booklet of Information
2. The following 36 months (the CA-1, CA-2, and CA-3 Years) provide clinical training in anesthesia.Yale University: Program Overview
  1. The first two years after the Clinical Base Year (CA-1 and CA-2) consist of basic anesthesia training and sub-specialty rotations.American Board of Anesthesiology: Booklet of Information
  2. Subspecialty rotations may include:
    Obstetric anesthesia
    Pediatric anesthesia
    Cardiac anesthesia
    Anesthesia for thoracic and vascular surgery
    Neuroanesthesia
    Ambulatory anesthesia
    Acute pain management
    Chronic pain management
    Post-anesthesia careAmerican Board of Anesthesiology: Booklet of Information
  3. CA-3 involves increasing levels of responsibility and independent patient care.American Board of Anesthesiology: Booklet of Information
Selecting a Residency
- The Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education, which is responsible for accrediting all medical residency programs, has a database that you can search to find accredited anesthesiology residency programs.Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education: Search by Specialty
1. Are you looking for a program associated with a teaching hospital, or would a community hospital program meet your needs?
2. Do you have location preferences or constraints?
3. What level of commitment does the program require? Some programs still demand 80 hours a week from their residents, while others have instituted part-time residencies to accommodate doctors with young children.Newsweek: Get a Life, Doc, If You Dare (November 22, 2008)
- After completing their residency and board certification exam, anesthesiologists may either begin practicing or continue on for additional training in an anesthesia sub-specialty. In 2005, anesthesiologists in the United States had a median income of approximately $260,000 a year.National Institutes of Health: Anesthesiologist
Conclusion

The path to becoming an anesthesiologist begins with the choices you make while in high school and college. You'll begin your formal training in medical school, and end it after completing a residency that will last at least four years—longer if you choose to specialize. At the end of the road, you'll be prepared for a career that's focused on alleviating pain and suffering.
References for How to Become an Anesthesiologist