Anesthesia

[ngozi]

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I'm an anesthesia resident and have been enjoying my choice even more than I expected. Thought I'd share why...

- The care is acute. (Most of) The drugs you use have an immediate effect. The patients tend to misbehave in acute ways. You have to make quick decisions. It makes for an adrenaline-filled day.
- You get to physically take care of patients. Lots of doctors order drugs, but have no idea how to administer them. You give the patient drugs without orders and see the consequences. You are also an expert at placing difficult lines and doing procedures that help with figuring out physiology as well as treating pain.
- You're an expert in physiology, and I find it fun understanding why bodies do what they do. Knowing a lot about drugs and catching side effects, or using a drug for its side effect is fun.
- Anesthesiologists tend to me nice, laid back, fun co-workers. Although you do need to work with surgeons.
- You tend to work with nurses one-on-one more, and therefore we're not usually hated by the nurses. In fact, I'm friends with lots of them. You'll find that in a lot of specialties there's big time nurse vs doctor fights (although we do have some midlevel provider nurse vs doctor animosity).
- There's a variety of stuff to do, and if you're in an academic center, your days can be very different from the last. You could be doing cardiac, peds, ortho, neuro, urology, burns. You could be off the floor doing MRI/ECT. You could be running the OB floor and doing epidurals + c-sections. We block peripheral nerves outside the OR in preparation for the OR or to treat trauma such as rib fractures. You get called to codes and deal with traumas. Etc.
- If academic center is not your thing, and you like boring days, you could go work out in the community doing healthy patients for elective procedures. Or, you could retire into this.
- Although you don't have much chronic interaction with patients, you do usually have several hour interaction with patients. So you spend more time in an average visit with someone than other docs, and you can get to know them pretty well. The time you spend with them is critical, and it's great calming down someone right before they're about to have a major procedure.
- If someone is dying on the streets, you know what to do. You're an expert at ressuscitation.
- Well paid
- Good hours
- The residency is benign compared to many others
- Specialty condusive to having a family
There's probably a lot more that I can't think of right now too.

 

[tabascosauce]

cool input! shongkew

 

[CaptainSSO]

Anesthesiology sounds like it would be fun.

Hard to narrow down choices for specialties...

Deep down, I feel like I want to be a surgeon, but rad onc, anes, and some others, all sound cool...

 

[docdonny]

But the whole CRNA this is really getting out of hand. what do you think about where the specialty is going as more and more states allow for CRNAs to practice without supervision and they continue to pump grads into the field?

 

[PMPMD]

I'm an anesthesia resident and have been enjoying my choice even more than I expected. Thought I'd share why...

- The care is acute. (Most of) The drugs you use have an immediate effect. The patients tend to misbehave in acute ways. You have to make quick decisions. It makes for an adrenaline-filled day.
- You get to physically take care of patients. Lots of doctors order drugs, but have no idea how to administer them. You give the patient drugs without orders and see the consequences. You are also an expert at placing difficult lines and doing procedures that help with figuring out physiology as well as treating pain.
- You're an expert in physiology, and I find it fun understanding why bodies do what they do. Knowing a lot about drugs and catching side effects, or using a drug for its side effect is fun.
- Anesthesiologists tend to me nice, laid back, fun co-workers. Although you do need to work with surgeons.
- You tend to work with nurses one-on-one more, and therefore we're not usually hated by the nurses. In fact, I'm friends with lots of them. You'll find that in a lot of specialties there's big time nurse vs doctor fights (although we do have some midlevel provider nurse vs doctor animosity).
- There's a variety of stuff to do, and if you're in an academic center, your days can be very different from the last. You could be doing cardiac, peds, ortho, neuro, urology, burns. You could be off the floor doing MRI/ECT. You could be running the OB floor and doing epidurals + c-sections. We block peripheral nerves outside the OR in preparation for the OR or to treat trauma such as rib fractures. You get called to codes and deal with traumas. Etc.
- If academic center is not your thing, and you like boring days, you could go work out in the community doing healthy patients for elective procedures. Or, you could retire into this.
- Although you don't have much chronic interaction with patients, you do usually have several hour interaction with patients. So you spend more time in an average visit with someone than other docs, and you can get to know them pretty well. The time you spend with them is critical, and it's great calming down someone right before they're about to have a major procedure.
- If someone is dying on the streets, you know what to do. You're an expert at ressuscitation.
- Well paid
- Good hours
- The residency is benign compared to many others
- Specialty condusive to having a family
There's probably a lot more that I can't think of right now too.

👍👍
Nice post

 

[karizma098]

But the whole CRNA this is really getting out of hand. what do you think about where the specialty is going as more and more states allow for CRNAs to practice without supervision and they continue to pump grads into the field?

Crna schools are popping up left and right, it's already oversaturated in so many cities. like many physicians, there are great crna's and awful crna's, and though many midlevels will disagree, 99% of the time the MD/DO anesthesiologist is an absolute necessity to handle a complex case or complication. The problem with Crna's is that their pay is already sky high ( 120-150k ) and their knowledge isn't up to par with an MD's. they are simply a cog in the wheel, and are utilized where MD's don't want to go.. As healthcare turns towards cost effectiveness, we will definitely see many more MD's monitoring CRNA's, and a lot fewer all MD groups - but there will always be an MD there for liability and safety reasons; there might be fewer jobs for anesthesiologists 10 years down the road, but the pay won't be much less. Even in opt out states, very few hospitals have a anesthesia department without an anesthesiologists presence.

worst case scenario = all states opt out, ton more CRNA's working independently, MD anesthesiology jobs are strictly limited to monitoring rooms and overseeing cases, doing occasional complex cases. Salary will probably still hang out in the 250-300k range.

 

[Depakote]

I'm an anesthesia resident and have been enjoying my choice even more than I expected. Thought I'd share why...

- The care is acute. (Most of) The drugs you use have an immediate effect. The patients tend to misbehave in acute ways. You have to make quick decisions. It makes for an adrenaline-filled day.
- You get to physically take care of patients. Lots of doctors order drugs, but have no idea how to administer them. You give the patient drugs without orders and see the consequences. You are also an expert at placing difficult lines and doing procedures that help with figuring out physiology as well as treating pain.
- You're an expert in physiology, and I find it fun understanding why bodies do what they do. Knowing a lot about drugs and catching side effects, or using a drug for its side effect is fun.
- Anesthesiologists tend to me nice, laid back, fun co-workers. Although you do need to work with surgeons.
- You tend to work with nurses one-on-one more, and therefore we're not usually hated by the nurses. In fact, I'm friends with lots of them. You'll find that in a lot of specialties there's big time nurse vs doctor fights (although we do have some midlevel provider nurse vs doctor animosity).
- There's a variety of stuff to do, and if you're in an academic center, your days can be very different from the last. You could be doing cardiac, peds, ortho, neuro, urology, burns. You could be off the floor doing MRI/ECT. You could be running the OB floor and doing epidurals + c-sections. We block peripheral nerves outside the OR in preparation for the OR or to treat trauma such as rib fractures. You get called to codes and deal with traumas. Etc.
- If academic center is not your thing, and you like boring days, you could go work out in the community doing healthy patients for elective procedures. Or, you could retire into this.
- Although you don't have much chronic interaction with patients, you do usually have several hour interaction with patients. So you spend more time in an average visit with someone than other docs, and you can get to know them pretty well. The time you spend with them is critical, and it's great calming down someone right before they're about to have a major procedure.
- If someone is dying on the streets, you know what to do. You're an expert at ressuscitation.
- Well paid
- Good hours
- The residency is benign compared to many others
- Specialty condusive to having a family
There's probably a lot more that I can't think of right now too.

You do a great job describing the pros of the field. A lot of the reasons I wound up choosing Anesthesiology are on that list.


As for the CRNA discussion...

It's a poor reason to opt out of a great profession. Lots of fields are fighting their own mid-level battles and avoiding the you might enjoy for the rest of your career because of the current political climate seems short-sighted. Regardless, there will always be a need for anesthesiologists. Your training as a physician will be an asset and allow you to manage the cases that require such care.

Now if you'd like to be even more pro-active. The American Society of Anesthesiologists- Political Action Committee does an excellent job lobbying on behalf of the specialty and the medical profession. Feel free to read about their efforts and support them in any way.

 

[Doctor4Life1769]

I'm an anesthesia resident and have been enjoying my choice even more than I expected. Thought I'd share why...

- The care is acute. (Most of) The drugs you use have an immediate effect. The patients tend to misbehave in acute ways. You have to make quick decisions. It makes for an adrenaline-filled day.
- You get to physically take care of patients. Lots of doctors order drugs, but have no idea how to administer them. You give the patient drugs without orders and see the consequences. You are also an expert at placing difficult lines and doing procedures that help with figuring out physiology as well as treating pain.
- You're an expert in physiology, and I find it fun understanding why bodies do what they do. Knowing a lot about drugs and catching side effects, or using a drug for its side effect is fun.
- Anesthesiologists tend to me nice, laid back, fun co-workers. Although you do need to work with surgeons.
- You tend to work with nurses one-on-one more, and therefore we're not usually hated by the nurses. In fact, I'm friends with lots of them. You'll find that in a lot of specialties there's big time nurse vs doctor fights (although we do have some midlevel provider nurse vs doctor animosity).
- There's a variety of stuff to do, and if you're in an academic center, your days can be very different from the last. You could be doing cardiac, peds, ortho, neuro, urology, burns. You could be off the floor doing MRI/ECT. You could be running the OB floor and doing epidurals + c-sections. We block peripheral nerves outside the OR in preparation for the OR or to treat trauma such as rib fractures. You get called to codes and deal with traumas. Etc.
- If academic center is not your thing, and you like boring days, you could go work out in the community doing healthy patients for elective procedures. Or, you could retire into this.
- Although you don't have much chronic interaction with patients, you do usually have several hour interaction with patients. So you spend more time in an average visit with someone than other docs, and you can get to know them pretty well. The time you spend with them is critical, and it's great calming down someone right before they're about to have a major procedure.
- If someone is dying on the streets, you know what to do. You're an expert at ressuscitation.
- Well paid
- Good hours
- The residency is benign compared to many others
- Specialty condusive to having a family
There's probably a lot more that I can't think of right now too.

👍👍👍

 

[DrVanNostran]

I'm an anesthesia resident and have been enjoying my choice even more than I expected. Thought I'd share why...

- The care is acute. (Most of) The drugs you use have an immediate effect. The patients tend to misbehave in acute ways. You have to make quick decisions. It makes for an adrenaline-filled day.
- You get to physically take care of patients. Lots of doctors order drugs, but have no idea how to administer them. You give the patient drugs without orders and see the consequences. You are also an expert at placing difficult lines and doing procedures that help with figuring out physiology as well as treating pain.
- You're an expert in physiology, and I find it fun understanding why bodies do what they do. Knowing a lot about drugs and catching side effects, or using a drug for its side effect is fun.
- Anesthesiologists tend to me nice, laid back, fun co-workers. Although you do need to work with surgeons.
- You tend to work with nurses one-on-one more, and therefore we're not usually hated by the nurses. In fact, I'm friends with lots of them. You'll find that in a lot of specialties there's big time nurse vs doctor fights (although we do have some midlevel provider nurse vs doctor animosity).
- There's a variety of stuff to do, and if you're in an academic center, your days can be very different from the last. You could be doing cardiac, peds, ortho, neuro, urology, burns. You could be off the floor doing MRI/ECT. You could be running the OB floor and doing epidurals + c-sections. We block peripheral nerves outside the OR in preparation for the OR or to treat trauma such as rib fractures. You get called to codes and deal with traumas. Etc.
- If academic center is not your thing, and you like boring days, you could go work out in the community doing healthy patients for elective procedures. Or, you could retire into this.
- Although you don't have much chronic interaction with patients, you do usually have several hour interaction with patients. So you spend more time in an average visit with someone than other docs, and you can get to know them pretty well. The time you spend with them is critical, and it's great calming down someone right before they're about to have a major procedure.
- If someone is dying on the streets, you know what to do. You're an expert at ressuscitation.
- Well paid
- Good hours
- The residency is benign compared to many others
- Specialty condusive to having a family
There's probably a lot more that I can't think of right now too.

Excellent post!

I am currently on my surgery rotation and have noticed that I tend to enjoy myself the most when hanging out with gas folks, or as they would say, behind the blood-brain barrier.

A lot of people have a misconception of anesthesia, what they do is pretty amazing, just like every other field of medicine. Once again, great post.

 

[MedicineMike]

Excellent post!

I am currently on my surgery rotation and have noticed that I tend to enjoy myself the most when hanging out with gas folks, or as they would say, behind the blood-brain barrier.

A lot of people have a misconception of anesthesia, what they do is pretty amazing, just like every other field of medicine. Once again, great post.

👍👍

Ive always had a strange interest in anesthesia for years. Not really sure why. I haven't started school yet so I know this might change, but it's great to see this post. Thanks

 

[CatFactorial]

What kinds of research do anesthesiologists tend to focus on?

 

[muhali3]

Gas is becoming more appealing to me. I hate the stereotype among laypeople that anesthesiologists just put you to sleep.

 

[CatFactorial]

Gas is becoming more appealing to me. I hate the stereotype among laypeople that anesthesiologists just put you to sleep.

Ew.

 

[VoiceofReason]

Gas is becoming more appealing to me. I hate the stereotype among laypeople that anesthesiologists just put you to sleep.

of the medical specialties, anesthesiology most closely resembles the daydream that most of us had before beginning medschool wherein we saw ourselves as stone faced badasses handling emergencies that would make other people panic/vomit/syncopize.

*notice i said 'most closely' because nothing is really like the TV shows

 

[MCAT guy]

Can you have limited research experience in medical school and still be a competitive anesthesia applicant?

 

[PMPMD]

Can you have limited research experience in medical school and still be a competitive anesthesia applicant?

Yes. Anesthesia has traditionally not been very research heavy. Hopefully this will improve in the future.

 

[PMPMD]

What kinds of research do anesthesiologists tend to focus on?

There seems to be more of a push towards perioperative medicine, ie looking at long term outcomes beyond the OR and PACU.

 

[dr zaius]

There seems to be more of a push towards perioperative medicine, ie looking at long term outcomes beyond the OR and PACU.

Our ACLS course was taught by an anesthesiologist. He also does some national stuff with the American Heart Association in terms of developing the guidelines, and a good many anesthesiologists in our department seem to also be involved. I've noticed a lot of dept. of anesthesiology on resuscitation type papers.

I've developed a curiosity for anesthesia since ACLS. I definitely plan on investigating the field further once I'm finished with good ol' year 1 (1 week left!!!) and 2. Your post makes it sound pretty amazing.

 

[Day man]

this totally just put gas into my top 3. albeit, i have little knowledge of any of them yet...only time(and clerkships) shall tell.

 

[MCAT guy]

Isn't anesthesia easy for DO's to match as compared to more competitive specialties?

What is the reason for that? Are MD's moving away from anesthesia or are there just so many ACGME spots?

 

[hivoltage]

I'm an anesthesia resident and have been enjoying my choice even more than I expected. Thought I'd share why...

- The care is acute. (Most of) The drugs you use have an immediate effect. The patients tend to misbehave in acute ways. You have to make quick decisions. It makes for an adrenaline-filled day.
- You get to physically take care of patients. Lots of doctors order drugs, but have no idea how to administer them. You give the patient drugs without orders and see the consequences. You are also an expert at placing difficult lines and doing procedures that help with figuring out physiology as well as treating pain.
- You're an expert in physiology, and I find it fun understanding why bodies do what they do. Knowing a lot about drugs and catching side effects, or using a drug for its side effect is fun.
- Anesthesiologists tend to me nice, laid back, fun co-workers. Although you do need to work with surgeons.
- You tend to work with nurses one-on-one more, and therefore we're not usually hated by the nurses. In fact, I'm friends with lots of them. You'll find that in a lot of specialties there's big time nurse vs doctor fights (although we do have some midlevel provider nurse vs doctor animosity).
- There's a variety of stuff to do, and if you're in an academic center, your days can be very different from the last. You could be doing cardiac, peds, ortho, neuro, urology, burns. You could be off the floor doing MRI/ECT. You could be running the OB floor and doing epidurals + c-sections. We block peripheral nerves outside the OR in preparation for the OR or to treat trauma such as rib fractures. You get called to codes and deal with traumas. Etc.
- If academic center is not your thing, and you like boring days, you could go work out in the community doing healthy patients for elective procedures. Or, you could retire into this.
- Although you don't have much chronic interaction with patients, you do usually have several hour interaction with patients. So you spend more time in an average visit with someone than other docs, and you can get to know them pretty well. The time you spend with them is critical, and it's great calming down someone right before they're about to have a major procedure.
- If someone is dying on the streets, you know what to do. You're an expert at ressuscitation.
- Well paid
- Good hours
- The residency is benign compared to many others
- Specialty condusive to having a family
There's probably a lot more that I can't think of right now too.

i appreciate your post and I am happy you are happy with your choice. And you describe what anesthesiologist do very well. you are obviously looking at it with rosey tinted lenses for sure..

There is a a whole lot of stool sitting, charting vitals, and thinking when is this surgeon ever gonna get done because I have to.. eat,.... go to the bathroom.... call home... basically you are chained to the anesthesia machine for hours at a time with no relief in site. when you are the only one in the hospital and you gotta go and there is nobody to relieve you.. NOT FUN.

I wish i would have picked a specialty where there were more diagnostic and medical treatment vs the just acute anesthetic management. Just a tad more interesting.

explore every aspect of a specialty prior to making a decision

we dont get paid nearly what we should.

 

[Doctor4Life1769]

You're the sole anesthesia provider in your hospital?

No CRNAs? No partners?

You should change that.

 

[JC Denton]

This thread contrasts pretty damn heavily against what I've been seeing on the actual Gas forum on this site. It's amusing how easily people are swayed by a single post.

I understand everyone's enthusiasm, but you guys might want to read things over carefully before any more people "totally" put this in their top 3.

I always discourage people from going into anesthesia because of the political climate, practice environment, and the outlook. The political climate is such that people(politicians, hospital admins, etc) will marginalize your skills and judgement constantly. You are viewed as a inter changeable COG. (Insert Anesthesia provide A here) (anesthesia provider C on vacation). They dont care who it is.. If you dont play ball. They will get another one or many at a lower price. They dont care. hard to stay in one spot for a while when you are dealing with **** like this. Its ridiculous. Until something catastrophic happens... then where is the anesthesiologist..
2) the practice environment. The anesthesiologist has to keep too many people happy.. surgeon,,, colleagues.... crnas.... nurses... surg tech...... on a daily basis.. can be exhausting in the face of dealing with critical tricky patients. very hard to develop the skill of being diplomatic and getting what you want at the same time.. Residency will not teach you this. Just wont. My attendings in residency tried to explain this to me. Went over my head. really did. Most never develop this skill. You have to plant ideas into peoples heads and make believe it was their idea.. wierd to explain.

3) I think the outlook is dismal because of the mid level providers which are essential to our practice otherwise there would not be enough providers. The problem is when they are claiming independence and in the future its looking you will be competing with CRNAs for the same exact job.

4) add to the mix.. greedy ass anesthesia management companies, corrupt lazy partners who set you up for failure., the temptation for drug abuse, early mornings, late calls, threats of career ending lawsuits looming over you daily, the aba threatening to revoke your certifications every year if you dont follow MOCA to a "T". ALl this for a salary that people think you are doing nothing for anyway. somtimes it is just too much to stomach. its hard to come in to work sometimes.

I just think there are many other specialties that are far better than anesthesiology for a bright graduating medical student.

I can lie lie and lie more. I can say anesthesiology is the greatest specialty known to man. I can vomit sunshine as the management company takes 35 percent of what we make(take it or leave it), as the administration make us work longer for less pay at the same time marginalizing our value by hiring more and more anesthetists, as non boarded docs( good docs) cant find jobs but CRNA practices proliferate. i can tell you that I love working late inghts and weekends on call taking care of sicker and sicker patients bowel obstructions, dead guts, bring back t onsils, the parturient who needs an epidural and you show up 5 mins late and are written up by the nurse manager. I love our service being blamed for the inefficiency of the OR. Its just a tough, tough life. It would be a different story if we got paid a lot of money for this hassle... but our salaries arent as great as people think for the responsibility we shoulder and is being decreased every year. Even if you get a job at a GI center there is significant stress associated with that job.

Im just a realist and calling it like it is. If you want to go into anesthesia thats fine. Just dont go into it blindly, thinking its a great lifestyle specialty. We are going to need great anesthesiologists in the future. I dont know how many, but right now the job market is depressed.

 

[Day man]

ah man, now I'm "totally" swayed the other way! Thanks for setting me straight

 

[MossPoh]

Just like every other field, an opinion is going to be peppered with lots of "I think" because people all have different opinions. There are always a couple of people that are all doom and gloom. It is far easier to find someone to write negative things than positive. How many "Keep up the great work!" comment cards do you think a place gets compared to the "I found a hair in my food!" types.

On SDN, land of the intense digital personality, one is more likely to find the "I found a hair in my food!" kind of person.

 

[docdonny]

Just like every other field, an opinion is going to be peppered with lots of "I think" because people all have different opinions. There are always a couple of people that are all doom and gloom. It is far easier to find someone to write negative things than positive. How many "Keep up the great work!" comment cards do you think a place gets compared to the "I found a hair in my food!" types.

On SDN, land of the intense digital personality, one is more likely to find the "I found a hair in my food!" kind of person.

Just like on this forum, there are rational people and doom and gloom people. When someone says something negative you cant just classifiy them as "doom and gloom people". They may be giving an honest asswer which may just be a negative one. We have a CRNA in our family now who straight up said she is just as knowledgeable as an anestesiologist and several of them actually believe that. They work unsupervised and what nothing more than you take over the field entirely as they believe it falls under a nursing profession. its growing and the situation is only looking to get worse, can someone please name another speciality than has midlevel power struggle like gas. For the attendings reading, can you give an honest assesment on how you think this going to play out for someone just starting med school and wont be an attending for almost another decade? What do you think the political climate will look like and what does becoming peri-operative mean? How is that not just like a ICU doc?

 

[courtnes]

Thanks for a great post, OP - very well articulated.

I like being in the OR, but I'm waiting for my surgery rotation to determine which side of the BBB I belong on.

 

[MedicineMike]

Just like on this forum, there are rational people and doom and gloom people. When someone says something negative you cant just classifiy them as "doom and gloom people". They may be giving an honest asswer which may just be a negative one. We have a CRNA in our family now who straight up said she is just as knowledgeable as an anestesiologist and several of them actually believe that. They work unsupervised and what nothing more than you take over the field entirely as they believe it falls under a nursing profession. its growing and the situation is only looking to get worse, can someone please name another speciality than has midlevel power struggle like gas. For the attendings reading, can you give an honest assesment on how you think this going to play out for someone just starting med school and wont be an attending for almost another decade? What do you think the political climate will look like and what does becoming peri-operative mean? How is that not just like a ICU doc?

optometry & ophthalmology....

 

[MCAT guy]

Just like on this forum, there are rational people and doom and gloom people. When someone says something negative you cant just classifiy them as "doom and gloom people". They may be giving an honest asswer which may just be a negative one. We have a CRNA in our family now who straight up said she is just as knowledgeable as an anestesiologist and several of them actually believe that. They work unsupervised and what nothing more than you take over the field entirely as they believe it falls under a nursing profession. its growing and the situation is only looking to get worse, can someone please name another speciality than has midlevel power struggle like gas. For the attendings reading, can you give an honest assesment on how you think this going to play out for someone just starting med school and wont be an attending for almost another decade? What do you think the political climate will look like and what does becoming peri-operative mean? How is that not just like a ICU doc?

The poster quoted above is Hivoltage, he is certainly a doom and gloom poster. All his posts are negative and never balanced.

What I've gathered from reading is, the midlevels can handle the simple cases but once you get into advanced or challenging patients, they are unable to perform. Also in larger cities, MDs will be favored.

CRNAs don't understand the why, they just know what to do procedurely on bread and butter cases.

Again, this is just what I have read from the attendings and residents.

 

[docdonny]

The poster quoted above is Hivoltage, he is certainly a doom and gloom poster. All his posts are negative and never balanced.

What I've gathered from reading is, the midlevels can handle the simple cases but once you get into advanced or challenging patients, they are unable to perform. Also in larger cities, MDs will be favored.

CRNAs don't understand the why, they just know what to do procedurely on bread and butter cases.

Again, this is just what I have read from the attendings and residents.

Thanks for clearing that up

 

[hivoltage]

The poster quoted above is Hivoltage, he is certainly a doom and gloom poster. All his posts are negative and never balanced.

What I've gathered from reading is, the midlevels can handle the simple cases but once you get into advanced or challenging patients, they are unable to perform. Also in larger cities, MDs will be favored.

CRNAs don't understand the why, they just know what to do procedurely on bread and butter cases.

Again, this is just what I have read from the attendings and residents.

I love it when you call me a doom and gloom poster yet you have not done what i do every single day for the past 10 years. I have over 100 anesthesiologist as friends. YOu havent even stepped foot in medical school yet and you are discounting what I am posting here. That is your perogative.

CRNAS are handling the advanced cases and challenging cases in large cities not just in the rural areas. Just do some research. They are even doing pain in some places. Unsupervised. I hope in the future MDs will be favored over CRNAS but lately Im not quite sure. All im saying i wouldnt wanna be starting anesthesia residency right now thats for sure. Future is too uncertain. I can be totally wrong but thats my take on it. And the problem with asking academic chairs about if you should go into anesthesia is.. like asking the guy selling bottled water.. is bottled wated better than tap water you will get a biased answer..

 

[ngozi]

But the whole CRNA this is really getting out of hand. what do you think about where the specialty is going as more and more states allow for CRNAs to practice without supervision and they continue to pump grads into the field?

Like it was said before, mid-levels and others trying to take over our jobs and thinking they're just as good (even though they go to school for a fraction of the time and couldn't get into medical school to begin with) is not just an anesthesia problem. As you do multi-disciplinary rounds, you'll see... The nurse practicioners think they know more than you, the pharmacist thinks they know more than you (I actually had a pharmacist be amazed when I correct something she said wrong, stating she didn't know we had pharmacy classes), even the nutritionist thinks she knows more than you. I saw a social worker wearing a long white coat the other day.

As far as anesthesia goes, CRNAs could be a real threat in some senses and not in others. First of, a recent ASA publication presented how their salaries are basically equal to hours if you normalize work-hours and overtime pay (more bang for your buck to go to CRNA school!)... And if they did get independence, this would become a nursing field and everyone's salaries would go down... Which is why I don't understand why they're doing it. They're shooting themselves on the foot. They've got it made... short schooling, 1-1 with patients, little responsibility when it comes to law-suits, very high pay. My solution (and the ASAs) to this whole problem is to make Anesthesia Assistants legal in every state and replace CRNAs with them. They're not trying to take over... Also, as was stated before, few CRNAs could take care of a truly complicated case, and certainly not when they're right out of school, but years later when their experience level is similar to a graduating resident's.

Regardless, it's a big political debate right now and every physician should join in the battle of keeping our profession educated. They would never let an engineer practice with 1.5 years of schooling, why should medicine be different?

To answer your question... it's a big debate and no one know what will happen. As of right now, you can expect salaries starting at 300,000... if they win, it may go down to 200,000. Still not too shabby.

 

[ngozi]

What kinds of research do anesthesiologists tend to focus on?

All sorts of stuff, actually. Anesthesia involves everything. I thought I was specializing, but one of my study books looks awfully like a family medicine book. We need to know about every disease as all sorts of people get surgery. So pick what you like and do research on that. Lots of people focus on pain, hemodynamic stability, blood transfusions, etc...

 

[muhali3]

My solution (and the ASAs) to this whole problem is to make Anesthesia Assistants legal in every state and replace CRNAs with them. They're not trying to take over...

agree.

 

[MCAT guy]

I love it when you call me a doom and gloom poster yet you have not done what i do every single day for the past 10 years. I have over 100 anesthesiologist as friends. YOu havent even stepped foot in medical school yet and you are discounting what I am posting here. That is your perogative.

CRNAS are handling the advanced cases and challenging cases in large cities not just in the rural areas. Just do some research. They are even doing pain in some places. Unsupervised. I hope in the future MDs will be favored over CRNAS but lately Im not quite sure. All im saying i wouldnt wanna be starting anesthesia residency right now thats for sure. Future is too uncertain. I can be totally wrong but thats my take on it. And the problem with asking academic chairs about if you should go into anesthesia is.. like asking the guy selling bottled water.. is bottled wated better than tap water you will get a biased answer..

Have you ever gone back and read any of your posts? They are 100% negative.

Your criticisms appear to be valid but to not admittedly be negative would be delusion. That is why I said you weren't balanced, you offer ostensibly valid criticisms.

I'm sorry you made the wrong career choice for yourself.

 

[ngozi]

This thread contrasts pretty damn heavily against what I've been seeing on the actual Gas forum on this site. It's amusing how easily people are swayed by a single post.

I understand everyone's enthusiasm, but you guys might want to read things over carefully before any more people "totally" put this in their top 3.

Of course you want to try to get the bad sides of the specialty as well... But I know/have met many anesthesiologists in different places, and by far most people are happy... Regardless of what people are bitching about in the forums.

Some issues, such as having to make everyone happy, are nullified depending on where you work... In small practices, you get to know your surgeons/nurses/ancillary personnel and they're trying to make you happy as much as you're trying to make them happy. Regardless, in the OR environment there is always a need for good communication and political awareness no matter who you are. Anesthesia opens up enough options that depending on what you like/don't like, you can get a different kind of job.

 

[ngozi]

you are obviously looking at it with rosey tinted lenses for sure..

that's called having a positive outlook in life. I'm quite aware of the down-sides of my choice, I just think the benefits FAR outweight them. My transitional year helped me see how many down-sides other specialties have, and I feel anesthesia has fewer than others.

 

[dikoerastenie]

I find the negative post to be more convincing. This "having to please others" would not be a problem if you were a partner... I think the major problem with anesthesia is just like pathology some people who know how to please others become partners and some of the others don't make it.. I would prefer if everyone in my specialty made 200k than if some people made 300k and some others made 600k.

Also people like to compare Anesthesia to ER. But they often quote the partner income in anesthesiology of 600k and the salary of $100/hr or $200k/yr for ER. But if you look at job ads u'll notice that many of the jobs in ER now pay $200/hr while many anesthesia jobs state "you will never become a partner". I think it is very important to have a strong demand for your specialty. Your superiors are much nicer to you if they know that you can always leave. A good sign that you are in a good specialty is when it's easy to become a partner.

 

[hivoltage]

Have you ever gone back and read any of your posts? They are 100% negative.

Your criticisms appear to be valid but to not admittedly be negative would be delusion. That is why I said you weren't balanced, you offer ostensibly valid criticisms.

I'm sorry you made the wrong career choice for yourself.

If i said osama bin laden is an evil man and im glad he is dead, would that make it a negative statement?

If I said I hate thieves and people who take advantage of others? WOuld that be negative? or are they truths or opinions?

you are not half as sorry as me about my career choice.

 

[hivoltage]

I find the negative post to be more convincing. This "having to please others" would not be a problem if you were a partner... I think the major problem with anesthesia is just like pathology some people who know how to please others become partners and some of the others don't make it.. I would prefer if everyone in my specialty made 200k than if some people made 300k and some others made 600k.

Also people like to compare Anesthesia to ER. But they often quote the partner income in anesthesiology of 600k and the salary of $100/hr or $200k/yr for ER. But if you look at job ads u'll notice that many of the jobs in ER now pay $200/hr while many anesthesia jobs state "you will never become a partner". I think it is very important to have a strong demand for your specialty. Your superiors are much nicer to you if they know that you can always leave. A good sign that you are in a good specialty is when it's easy to become a partner.

you have wisdom beyond your years sir.. (positive statement)

there is no more partnership jobs to speak of anymore. Just doesnt exist anymore.

 

[CaptainSSO]

If i said osama bin laden is an evil man and im glad he is dead, would that make it a negative statement?

If I said I hate thieves and people who take advantage of others? WOuld that be negative? or are they truths or opinions?

you are not half as sorry as me about my career choice.

Good points. Thanks for giving us a perspective of the other side of it. Anesthesia seems fun, but from what I've read on this forum, the politics that go along with it sound awful.

BTW, wouldn't it theoretically be possible for you to go back to residency and pick a new specialty? Or would that not be very practical?

 

[Hurricane95]

Great post OP. Many of the reasons I decided to choose the specialty are there outlined and apply to me as well. I'm about to start my intern year so I'll see further down the line next year. Obviously I agree that the specialty is not perfect, but then again, none are. It really is a tradeoff between doing what you like, lifestyle, and everyday practice, etc.

I would like to urge all medical students considering the specialty to explore the literature. It may sound like a crazy idea, but it helped me decide whether I liked many of the subjects and topics anesthesiologists deal with and do research in. Try reading journals in anesthesia. If you like the subject matter, feel interested and can get through journals with no problem, that's a start. I know research and academic medicine aren't for everyone, but regardless of whether you are planning to be an academic journal-factory stud or a straight clinician in private practice, it should be a red flag if you can't palate a journal in your specialty without getting bored, losing your mind and wanting to gouge your eyes out. As an example, in the past I've tried reading through journals in nephrology, endocrinology, oncology, various topics in pediatrics and neurology and wasn't able to get too far in before I started daydreaming and wanting it to be over. Those fields are not for me. In contrast, anesthesiology's various topics, cardiology, pulmonology, and surgical specialties always kept my interest piqued.

If you think you may be interested in anesthesiology early on as a medical student, sign up for student membership in the ASA (American Society of Anesthesiologists)...student membership is dirt cheap, I think like $10-15 for one year. Well worth it if it helps narrow down your specialty choice. You get a monthly newsletter and a subscription to the monthly publication of Anesthesiology, their journal.

You will see that research topics in anesthesiology are very varied, and encompass perioperative medicine, critical care, pain medicine, practice management and business, as well as many basic sciences, to name a few.

Some residency programs are strictly clinical and do minimal research and academic medicine, whereas others are more academic and research-heavy, such as the harvard hospitals, duke, cornell, columbia, etc. When it comes time to apply, you'll see what's best for you.

 

[JC Denton]

I find the negative post to be more convincing. This "having to please others" would not be a problem if you were a partner... I think the major problem with anesthesia is just like pathology some people who know how to please others become partners and some of the others don't make it.. I would prefer if everyone in my specialty made 200k than if some people made 300k and some others made 600k.

Also people like to compare Anesthesia to ER. But they often quote the partner income in anesthesiology of 600k and the salary of $100/hr or $200k/yr for ER. But if you look at job ads u'll notice that many of the jobs in ER now pay $200/hr while many anesthesia jobs state "you will never become a partner". I think it is very important to have a strong demand for your specialty. Your superiors are much nicer to you if they know that you can always leave. A good sign that you are in a good specialty is when it's easy to become a partner.

Can we please have more pre-meds like you?
Please?

 

[shaggy alfresco]

I find the negative post to be more convincing. This "having to please others" would not be a problem if you were a partner... I think the major problem with anesthesia is just like pathology some people who know how to please others become partners and some of the others don't make it.. I would prefer if everyone in my specialty made 200k than if some people made 300k and some others made 600k.

That...makes no sense whatsoever.

Also people like to compare Anesthesia to ER. But they often quote the partner income in anesthesiology of 600k and the salary of $100/hr or $200k/yr for ER. But if you look at job ads u'll notice that many of the jobs in ER now pay $200/hr while many anesthesia jobs state "you will never become a partner". I think it is very important to have a strong demand for your specialty. Your superiors are much nicer to you if they know that you can always leave. A good sign that you are in a good specialty is when it's easy to become a partner.

I agree, re: partner issue.

 

[MossPoh]

Just like on this forum, there are rational people and doom and gloom people. When someone says something negative you cant just classifiy them as "doom and gloom people". They may be giving an honest asswer which may just be a negative one. We have a CRNA in our family now who straight up said she is just as knowledgeable as an anestesiologist and several of them actually believe that. They work unsupervised and what nothing more than you take over the field entirely as they believe it falls under a nursing profession. its growing and the situation is only looking to get worse, can someone please name another speciality than has midlevel power struggle like gas. For the attendings reading, can you give an honest assesment on how you think this going to play out for someone just starting med school and wont be an attending for almost another decade? What do you think the political climate will look like and what does becoming peri-operative mean? How is that not just like a ICU doc?

Because oftentimes it isn't rational. It is emotionally based off of personal interactions. There are multiple mid-level providers fighting for more practice rights in every specialty. If you go into nearly any of these message boards there is at least one thread about how the sky is falling.

Getting partnership in a private practice and having people trying to screw you is universal. If it is somewhere desirable to work, they are going to milk it for as much as it is worth.

A rational person doesn't go screaming about how awful everything is. The connotation of rational has changed thanks to crap like Fox news and msnbc. I'm not saying that it is good to have these people. I'm saying that one has to take everything with a grain of salt. I'm yet to meet at least one doctor in EVERY specialty who is bitter or jaded about something. Emergency medicine, anesthesiology, radiology, family practice, dermatology, radiation oncology...it doesn't matter. I know SOMEONE who is continually a continually pi$$ed off grass is always greener person. Go fight and represent what you think is right for patient safety. What makes these people doom and gloom is NOT that they have an opinion, but rather that they go out of their way to continuously post on internet forums about how awful everything is. In life, one has to pause and reflect on good crap once in a while. It is easy to spot flaws.

 

[MCAT guy]

If i said osama bin laden is an evil man and im glad he is dead, would that make it a negative statement?

If I said I hate thieves and people who take advantage of others? WOuld that be negative? or are they truths or opinions?

you are not half as sorry as me about my career choice.

As I said, it appears your criticisms are just. Good luck on finding a way out.

 

[ozzi22]

Hey Ngozi, are you by any chance from Nigeria?

 

[ngozi]

I find the negative post to be more convincing. This "having to please others" would not be a problem if you were a partner... I think the major problem with anesthesia is just like pathology some people who know how to please others become partners and some of the others don't make it.. I would prefer if everyone in my specialty made 200k than if some people made 300k and some others made 600k.

Also people like to compare Anesthesia to ER. But they often quote the partner income in anesthesiology of 600k and the salary of $100/hr or $200k/yr for ER. But if you look at job ads u'll notice that many of the jobs in ER now pay $200/hr while many anesthesia jobs state "you will never become a partner". I think it is very important to have a strong demand for your specialty. Your superiors are much nicer to you if they know that you can always leave. A good sign that you are in a good specialty is when it's easy to become a partner.

Never heard of an anesthesia job that pays 100... I saw one for 210 and thought it was crappy, except it was for part time work. And when you're talking the top end of anesthesia, push it more to 800-1 million. Also, if there were no partnership jobs out there, why are almost all my fellow graduating residents getting partnership jobs?

re other post
Not from Nigeria, not even close... I do have lots of nigerean friends, does that count?