Anesthesiologist

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Work Tasks

• Give medicine called anesthetics to people to stop them from feeling pain during surgery
• Examine patients to decide what type of medicine to use and how much
• Make sure the patient does not have bad reactions to the anesthetic
• Keep records of the anesthetics given and how the patient reacted to them
• Work for hospitals, clinics, HMOs, private practices, and the federal government
• Use hypodermic needles, gas equipment, patient records, and different anesthetics

Salary, Size & Growth

• $305,500 average per year ($147.00 per hour)
• A medium occupation (34,800 workers in 2010)
• Expected to grow rapidly (2.2% per year)

Education/Training

• Minimum for Entry: A 4-year undergraduate degree, plus 4 years of medical school, and 6 to 8 years of internship and residency
• Skills/Courses: College courses include four years of medical school, a post-graduate medical education (residency) program, and general patient care.
• Certification/Licensing: All states require physicians to be licensed.