Careers in Medicine is a program of the Association of American Medical Colleges

MCAT AMCAS ERAS NRMP Publications More Resources	Shopping Cart Site Map

About CiM

CiM and Your School

Specialty Information

Choices Newsletter

CiM for Advisors

Contact CiM

Careers in Medicine: Specialty Information

Anesthesiology

Nature of the work

An anesthesiologist is trained to provide pain relief and maintenance, or restoration of a stable condition during and immediately following an operation, an obstetric or diagnostic procedure. The anesthesiologist assesses the risk of the patient's condition prior to, during and after surgery. They provide medical management and consultation in pain management and critical care medicine.

Anesthesiologists can receive training in the following subspecialties:

Critical Care Medicine - diagnoses, treats and supports patients with multiple organ dysfunction.
Pain Medicine - provides a high level of care for patients experiencing problems with acute, chronic and/or cancer pain.
Pediatric Anesthesiology - preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative anesthetic care of children and adolescents.

Training/residency information

The residency training program for anesthesiology is four years. Fellowships in an anesthesia subspecialty and in education or research may also be taken for an additional year.

Workforce and salary information

According to an April 2001 article in the American Society of Anesthesiologists newsletter, by Gifford Eckhout, M.D., and Armin Schubert, M.D., "a curtailed supply of anesthesiologists and a growing demand for surgical health care have brought about a national anesthesiologist shortage that could continue well into the next decade." This research was updated and the findings confirmed by Alan W. Grogono, M.D., in a November 2003 article for the American Society of Anesthesiologists newsletter. The annual salary for anesthesiologists ranges from $282,212 to $453,000.

For more information

Source: The American Board of Medical Specialties, the American Society of Anesthesiologists and the "2006 Physician Compensation Survey," Modern Healthcare. July 17, 2006. (Based on surveys conducted by American Medical Group Association; Cejka Search; Daniel Stern & Associates; Delta Physician Placement; Hay Group; Hospital & Healthcare Compensation Service; Jackson & Coker; Martin, Fletcher & Associates; MD Network; Medical Group Management Association; Medicus Partners; Merritt, Hawkins & Associates; Pcific Cos.; Pinnacle Helaht Group; and Sullivan, Cotter & Associates.)