"The anesthesiological equivalent of a "PA"" Does such a thing exist?
Totally separate from that; after the 12 years of schooling necessary to become an anesthesiologist, do most find it worth the time and effort? Is it a rewarding career?
Thanks!
Answer:
Well, kinda. There is a group of people called Anesthesia Assistants. Their training is similar to that of PAs- 4 years undergrad with premed like courses, followed by about 2 years of extra training. However, they are not approved for practice in all states (I think it's 12/50 states). In practice, CRNAs (Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists) are much much more common. So, it's possible to become an AA, but you just have to be aware that your flexibility relative to that of a CRNA is lessened.
I would say that the job satisfaction in Anesthesia is quite high. Of course, there are disgruntled people. Of course, the stress level at times can be astronomical (very few specialties present you with a patient that will die within 2 minutes unless you do something fast). A lot of people don't undestand what anesthesiologists do, they don't respect it, and you may not get a lot of thanks.
That being said, a lot of people love what they do. You get to deal with physiology on a deeper level than any other specialty. You have very focused patient care-- you get to do the fun stuff without having to worry about making phone calls, dictating charts, etc. It's very procedure based. Despite what some might think, you get pretty good patient contact. These patients are often scared out of their minds, and a good anesthesiologist can often calm them down better than any drug. The pay is quite good, and the job offers flexibility- when you're off, you're off, so you have greater flexibility than internists who always have to be thinking about their patients.
Disclosure-- I'm a third year resident, so maybe 5 years down the line I'll hate what I do. But right now, I love my job, and wouldn't trade it for any other specialty,
Nurse anesthetists would probably be a close equivalent to PAs. They go to school to learn specifically about anesthesia, so they have very specialized knowledge in that field. Once they know what they're doing, they can pretty much handle the whole anesthesia process by themselves.
However, anesthesiologists go to medical school, and all doctors have to be trained in all areas of medicine, so they know a lot more about the different conditions, surgeries, and physiology behind the anesthesia.
Actually, I'm in my 3rd year of medical school, and I'm considering becoming an anesthesiologist. My best friend's dad is an anesthesiologist, and he loves it. He likes being able to do things for his patients that give them immediate relief, and he gets a lot of gratitude from them. He finds it very rewarding, and he also has a great lifestyle. He works lots of nights and weekends, but that's his choice.
The bottom line is... find something that you love doing and that you can see yourself doing for a long time. Don't cross anything off your list until you've spent some time finding out what it entails. Good luck! :)
al is right on about AA's and CRNA's.
I work with lots of anesthesiologists, and I think everybody likes what they do. I do know one doctor who, after attaining Board certification in anesthesiology, promptly began a residency in psychiatry. I think she works as a shrink now. That's funny, because we like our patients to be quiet. Psychiatry is about as opposite to anesthesia as you can get.
I love my job. I make a good living, and I have time to see my kids and my horses. It's a good life.
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