Anesthesiologist

Beau Bialczyk
September 15, 2022
 What is a career?  A career is a combination of roles and responsibilities that you enjoy

doing every single day, while still making a living.  Anesthesiologist is an example of a career. 

An anesthesiologist evaluates, monitors, and supervises patient care before, during, and after

surgery, delivers anesthesia, leads the Anesthesia Care Team, and ensures optimal patient safety.

Why would someone want to become an anesthesiologist?  Many people join the medical field to

help others in ways they can’t begin to understand.  While others, like me, are eager to learn so

much about the human body.

“Success comes when you are prepared, and an opportunity presents itself.  It is possible

to be prepared and never get the opportunity, but it is equally disappointing to have an

opportunity that passing you by because you were unprepared,” (Dr. Druskavich).   My Passion

is to apply the tools and skills I have learned in school to the real world where I can help others. I

want to help anyone in need and be ready when the chance is given to me.  My vision is to attend

Grand Valley State University to study medicine in order to become an anesthesiologist.  I would

do anything to achieve this goal of mine, whether that means twelve or fourteen years of school. 

I think anesthesiology would complement my strength in leadership, judgment, and thinking

skills. 

Anesthesiologists are medical doctors just like your primary care physician and surgeon. 

They specialize in anesthesia care, pain management, and critical care medicine, and have the

necessary knowledge to understand and treat the entire human body.  Their working conditions

consist of working indoors in hospitals, surgical clinics, and other medical settings.  They often

wear hospital uniforms, protective or safety gear, such as latex gloves and protective glasses. 

Anesthesiologists are regularly exposed to diseases, infections, and contaminants in the hospital
environment.  The work hours consist of forty to sixty hours per week, but those hours can be

on-call, or on rotational, night, and weekend shifts.  According to Dr. Druskavich the yearly

salary starts at $325,000 ramping up to $500,000 within two to three years.  Anesthesiologists

have a competitive salary and job security, diversity in practice, flexible work schedule, less

responsibility for patients, and a controllable lifestyle.

What does it take?  Determination, to acquire a four-year bachelors' degree, a four-year

medical degree, and four years of residency.  Next, they must pass the National Board Exam,

complete a fellowship program, or spend two years in private practice, acquire certification, and

take a licensing exam.  The professional organization for anesthesiologists in the United States is

the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), which was organized to raise and maintain the

standards of the medical practice of anesthesiology and improve the care of the patient.  They are

under pressure to exercise caution in everything they do.  They're also at risk of legal action from

patients who believe they didn't receive proper treatment or care.  The pressure is highest when

anesthesiologists are multitasking and adjusting medications to maintain patient vitals such as

blood pressure, breathing rhythm, heartbeat and physical state; this can all cause great amount

anxiety.

Always pay attention to your future.  For example, employment outlook is the projected

rate of growth or decline in employment in an occupation over the next ten years.  In this case

anesthesiologists, which the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects half a percent employment

decline for anesthesiologists between 2020 and 2030.  In that period, an estimated two-hundred

jobs will be lost.  Places for employment in this particular field would be hospitals, private

physician offices, clinics, outpatient surgical centers, or in academic or medical institutions. A

 few jobs similar to an anesthesiologist are, an anesthetist nurse, an anesthesia technician, and a

anesthesiologist assistants. 

Works Cited

“13 Pros and Cons of Being an Anesthesiologist | Indeed.com.” Indeed, Indeed, 9 Nov. 2021,

https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/pros-cons-of-being-anesthesiologist. 

Highest Paying Jobs | Best Jobs Rankings | US News Careers. https://money.usnews.com/careers/best-

jobs/rankings/best-paying-jobs. 

“Professional Organizations.” Emory University Shield,

https://med.emory.edu/departments/anesthesiology/education/masters/profession/professional-

orgs.html#:~:text=The%20professional%20organization%20for%20anesthesiologists,practice

%20of%20anesthesiology%20and%20improve. 

“Role of a Physician Anesthesiologist - Made for This Moment.” Made For This Moment | Anesthesia,

Pain Management & Surgery, https://www.asahq.org/madeforthismoment/anesthesia-101/role-

of-physician-anesthesiologist/#:~:text=Physician%20anesthesiologists%20evaluate%2C

%20monitor%2C%20and,management%2C%20and%20critical%20care%20medicine. 

Salary.com, Site built by: “Anesthesiologist Salary.” Salary.com,

https://www.salary.com/research/salary/alternate/anesthesiologist-salary. 

“What Does a Career in Anesthesiology Look like?” TheBestSchools.org, 23 Aug. 2022,

https://thebestschools.org/careers/career-guide/anesthesiologist-overview/#:~:text=Some
%20private%20practices%20offer%20traditional,the%20next%20generation%20of

%20professionals.