Exploring Careers in Anesthesiology
General anesthesiologists are very well compensated; those with a medical or osteopathy degree earn more than $200,000. Median pay as of 2017 was $272,000 per year. General anesthesiology generally involves a 12-month training program. The training includes preoperative checks of patients, surgical interventions, trauma anesthesiology, planned cosmetic surgeries, and outgoing anesthesia administration. Let’s look at the specialties anesthesiologists can pursue and the other types of anesthesiology careers.
Anesthesiology Specialties
There are a number of specializations in anesthesiology. Obstetric Anesthesiology, when someone administers pain relief drugs to women in labor, is one good paying specialization; these doctors learn about providing anesthesia during general gynecological surgery as well. Pediatric anesthesia is its own discipline. Administering anesthesia to those undergoing thoracic vascular surgery and cardio surgery is its own discipline. Patient monitoring techniques differ from that for the average patient due to their greater odds of co-existing disorders and usually greater age.
Dental anesthesiologists spend four years in dental school after earning a bachelor’s degree, complete a two-year residency, and have to pass their state’s licensing exam. Their median pay is a little over $170,000.
Pain management anesthesiology requires learning about how to administer regional anesthesia for patients with both acute and chronic problems. They also learn how to administer medications without causing addiction while still providing relief for conditions like fibromyalgia, nerve damage, shingles, diabetic neuropathy, and migraines.
Nurse Anesthetist
A certified registered nurse anesthetist or CRNA has a bachelor’s degree or higher in nursing. They must have a nursing license in states that require it. They then earn a master’s degree in nurse anesthesia. A CRNA must pass the national certification exam to work as a nurse anesthetist. Recertification exams and continuing education hours are a necessity. An institution like Valley Anesthesia can prepare you for your AANA Recertification test.
The average certified nurse anesthetist earns $172,000. Pay ranges from $150,000 to $200,000, with those working long shifts in trauma earning much more than those in doctor’s offices and day surgery centers. Those in rural areas are paid less than those in urban areas, while they are almost the only anesthesiologists working in rural hospitals.
Anesthesiologist Technicians / Technologists
An anesthesiologist technician or technologist only requires an associate’s degree to enter the profession as long as they pass certification exams. They prep patients, assist with the administration of drugs under the supervision of anesthesiologists and attend to patients before and after the procedure. They may obtain supplies, set up equipment, transport patients, manage medications, maintain equipment records or assist in tearing down the operating room.
Average pay for those with certification is around $45,000 per year. Pay varies based on where you work; those working in emergency rooms and late nights in the delivery room earn more than those working in outpatient surgical centers or doctor’s offices.
After earning certification, the ASATT requires recertification every two years and thirty continuing education hours. Employment for anesthesiologist technicians is expected to grow as fast as the population nationwide.
Nurse Anesthesiologists earn two-thirds that of a general anesthesiologist, but they don’t have to spend several more years in medical school to work in the profession. General anesthesiologists are well paid, and those that pursue specializations and work in the Emergency Room earn more. Anesthesiologist technicians and technologists need only two years of schooling and clinical training to work in the field.
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