An Anesthesiologist’s Salary Could Make You Light-headed, But is it the Right Career for You?
ningcontentThe field of health care is one where there will always be a need to fill jobs in a variety of areas. Anesthesiology is one of the most important areas. An anesthesiologist’s salary, even at the entry level, is quite impressive but this is not a profession that’s suitable for everyone.
An anesthesiologist is a medical doctor who gives patients drugs (anesthesia) to prepare them for surgery. These drugs are designed to prevent patients from feeling pain. During surgery, it’s the anesthesiologist’s job to monitor the patients’ vital signs and adjust the drug dosages accordingly. The anesthesiologist continues to monitor patients after surgery, and it’s he or she who determines when patients are ready to leave the recovery room.
To become an anesthesiologist requires a considerable amount of education and training. It’s recommended that students who want to pursue careers in this area be knowledgeable in and have an affinity for physics, chemistry, biology, and mathematics.
An aspiring anesthesiologist must first earn a bachelor’s degree, then complete four years of medical school. After medical school, he must then complete a one-year general internship where he will learn diagnosis or treatment in other areas. Once that’s completed, it’s time to do a three-year residency, during which he will learn the technology and medical aspects of his profession.
In addition to anesthesiology training, they must also become well versed in cardiology, critical medicine, internal medicine, pharmacology, and surgery. Some anesthesologists choose to specialize in certain areas, like neurosurgery and must take additional training to learn about them. Whether they are specialists or generalists, anesthesiologists never stop studying or training. The medical field is constantly changing and they must stay current with new technology and advances in medicine.
With all that training and education, it’s no wonder they earn so much money. According to PayScale.com, an anesthesiologist with less than one year of experience can expect to earn approximately $76,500-$267,000 annually. The money notwithstanding, this is a tough career field. Anesthesiologists must be driven, self-motivated individuals who are willing to work long hours, have great bedside manners for soothing patients, and the ability to stay calm in stressful situations. Like many other doctors, they are always “on call” and can be summoned at any time.
Anesthesiology is a demanding profession, and the training is arduous and expensive. But an anesthesiologist’s salary can increase to over $321,000 annually, which would probably be more than enough to pay off student loans. Anyone with a lot of self-motivation, who has an affinity for helping others – something that can be discovered by volunteering at a local hospital – and is good in math and science, might want to consider a career in anesthesiology.
Sources:
http://blogs.payscale.com/salarystories/2007/07/name-diannajob-.html
http://careers.stateuniversity.com/pages/467/Anesthesiologist.html
