How physically demanding is anesthiology?

[PercutaneousKnowledge]

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Hello,
I'm asking a somewhat strange question - how physically demanding is anesthesiology?
When I first started medical school, I was planning to do a surgical specialty but always had gas as an alternative route. While I recently did well on my board exam, I was diagnosed with a condition that limits the amount of time I can stand up without moving (hence ruling out any surgical specialties). Therefore, I have shifted my focus to anesthesia - however, I wanted to know from the trenches how it was. Thank you.

 

[GABAergic]

Demanding. Less demanding: rad onc, path, rads other than interventional.

 

[Noyac]

You will more than likely find it demanding.

 

[B-Bone]

Moving patients is demanding. I do that all day long. CPR is demanding. I do that less often. I frequently go several hours without sitting. Between running around the ORs all day supervising or sitting my own room of ear tubes or ECT, you can be on your feet a lot.

 

[sleepallday]

In my opinion, one of the most demanding medical specialties. Depending on your practice setting, you can literally work 24 hours straight.

 

[urge]

5-10% of the time sitting when supervising.

Solo cases tend to be easier, 40-50% sitting.

 

[TIVAndy]

do ophthalmology. you'll sit most of the time.

 

[Colba55o]

what kind of medical condition is this where you have to limit the amount of time standing without moving? Restless legs? Parkinson's? If the issue is basically that you can't stand still but need to move around regularly I don't see why anesthesia would be a problem. Since we're not sterile we can move as much as we want.

 

[TaoistDoc]

You need to be able to curl 50lbs with your left arm. In case you get an acromegalic

 

[caligas]

You need to be able to lift a propofol and roc syringe, an ETT, and a newspaper (or ipad).

 

[pgg]

You need to be able to lift a propofol and roc syringe, an ETT, and a newspaper (or ipad).

Somewhere there's a video (parody) of someone attempting to do anesthesia via the robot. Hours of the robot attempting to pick up the syringe and dropping before the anesthesiologist goes "**** it! I'm going open" ...

It's the only time that infernal machine has ever made me laugh.

 

[psychbender]

Somewhere there's a video (parody) of someone attempting to do anesthesia via the robot. Hours of the robot attempting to pick up the syringe and dropping before the anesthesiologist goes "**** it! I'm going open" ...

It's the only time that infernal machine has ever made me laugh.

That was part of the WRAMC Anesthesiology residency skit video in 2009 or 2010, I believe.

 

[Ronin786]

There are cases where you won't get a chance to sit because of how sick the patient is, how terrible the surgeon is or a mixture of both.

It's much more demanding than I imagined, although there are periods where stable patients undergoing long procedures give you a good chance to sit down for a bit.

 

[Taurus]

I sit on my ass 95% of the time while at work. The other 5%? Getting coffee or a donut.

 

[PercutaneousKnowledge]

Thank you everyone for your information. I have a mild form of dysautonomia which gives me headaches and brain fogginess if I just stand around for too long (I learned that the hard way while shadowing/scrubbing into a long surgery). Walking around and/or sitting relieves this.

 

[deleted171991]

Thank you everyone for your information. I have a mild form of dysautonomia which gives me headaches and brain fogginess if I just stand around for too long (I learned that the hard way while shadowing/scrubbing into a long surgery). Walking around and/or sitting relieves this.

Do the right thing for your patients: choose another specialty. There is less and less stool-sitting for anesthesiologists.

 

[chocomorsel]

Well, if you are supervising midlevels, you get to literally run around and around all day long like a chicken with your head cutoff, signing a bunch of paperwork and "supervising", and sticking needles and tubes in people so you should be fine. You will be putting a couple of miles on your feet daily.

 

[ether123]

Hello,
I'm asking a somewhat strange question - how physically demanding is anesthesiology?
When I first started medical school, I was planning to do a surgical specialty but always had gas as an alternative route. While I recently did well on my board exam, I was diagnosed with a condition that limits the amount of time I can stand up without moving (hence ruling out any surgical specialties). Therefore, I have shifted my focus to anesthesia - however, I wanted to know from the trenches how it was. Thank you.

Well veryhing is relative. if u compare an anesthesiologits to a surgeon, then i would say less demanding but if u compare to radiologist then anesthesiolgst is more. Also depends on types of cases, the frequency of call, whether u have residents/crnas

 

[Random Anesthesiologist]

I wear a Fitbit at work and regularly get 10k+ steps.

 

[Infexious]

.

 

[caligas]

Jeez, you guys get out if your chairs way too much. Just ask the circulator or tech to bring you **** (drugs, coffee, etc.)

 

[Random Anesthesiologist]

Jeez, you guys get out if your chairs way too much. Just ask the circulator or tech to bring you **** (drugs, coffee, etc.)

Resident life

 

[Consigliere]

Anesthesiology is VERY demanding physically. We are always jumping to conclusions, stabbing each other in the back, avoiding work, and running to get out of the hospital. After a day of that, you're positively exhausted.

 

[fakin' the funk]

Solo MD anesthesia: lots of sitting (depending on the case) but also lots of physical acrobatics like flushing Foley or starting a foot IV under the drapes, getting crap from off the back of the anesthesia machine, moving patients etc.

Any degree of physical disability would severely limit your ability to do this job.

 

[Orin]

Thank you everyone for your information. I have a mild form of dysautonomia which gives me headaches and brain fogginess if I just stand around for too long (I learned that the hard way while shadowing/scrubbing into a long surgery). Walking around and/or sitting relieves this.

You should be fine doing anesthesia if your problems are only while standing still. If your disease course progresses though, that might be a problem, especially in crises. Most anesthesiologists generally walk a few miles during the course of their normal day. They are frequently moving and changing positions.

Most importantly, get disability insurance.