Neuroscience and Anesthesia

[etudiante04]

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Has anyone had a love of neuroscience in college or as part of a long term research project that influenced their interest in anesthesia? I know many say anesthesiologists love anatomy and physiology and pharmacology, but I wonder also if some have (or had) a strong interest in neuroscience, because I find anesthesia to be another application of neuroscience concepts in a way that is different from neurology. Any insights would be appreciated as I was at one point interested in neurology because of the neuroscience, but I like anesthesia a lot more.

 

[imfrankie]

I have neuroscience research interests.

 

[michigangirl]

My current research in pediatric anesthesia is neuroscience based, focusing on the effects of the drugs we use on neurocognitive outcomes in children. So yes, it is an important component of our practice and can be parlayed into your clinical and/or research career as an anesthesiologist.

 

[Spacedman]

I was in a similar spot when deciding on residency-- I was (am) really interested in neuroscience and thought neuro would be a good fit for my research interests, but it turned out I just liked the practice of anesthesia 100x more. Overall I think your intuition is right- anesthesia is more like "applied neuroscience" than any other field (neuro, pscyh, nsgy): chronic pain treatment, regional anesthesia, monitoring depth of anesthesia & emergence, cerebral protection, cerebrovascular autoregulation etc etc.

If you have an academic interest in neuroscience, I'm sure you could find satisfaction in anesthesia.

If you want to develop a major neuroscience research program related to anesthesia, you could do that too, but the barriers are a bit more significant than if you were coming from psych/neuro. that said, google the last several winners of the ASA presidential scholar award... all great clinicians and neuroscientists--
Peter Nagele (wash u)
George Mashour (u mich)
Max Kelz (u penn)
and of course Emery Brown at MGH... obviously not a comprehensive list, but you get the idea.

feel free to PM me.

 

[imfrankie]

"If you want to develop a major neuroscience research program related to anesthesia, you could do that too, but the barriers are a bit more significant than if you were coming from psych/neuro."

Balderdash, esteemed colleague. Don't let others' limitations determine yours.

 

[etudiante04]

Thanks, your responses were very helpful, as I am not only interested in neuroscience and anesthesia, but pediatric anesthesia as well. I like neuroscience but not neurology, and I like working with kids, but not general pediatrics. It is great to know there are so many options available.

 

[MPMD]

Thanks, your responses were very helpful, as I am not only interested in neuroscience and anesthesia, but pediatric anesthesia as well. I like neuroscience but not neurology, and I like working with kids, but not general pediatrics. It is great to know there are so many options available.

I think that while it is not traditionally viewed as a "neurological" specialty, anesthesiology deals with neurologic concepts everyday in an applied way (as opposed to the more hands-off approach of general peds or neuro). I also know several other med students who came into school interested in neuro and switched later to gas, so I think this is a pretty common transition.

 

[etudiante04]

Oh yes, I met Emery Brown at MGH.

 

[imfrankie]

There is a good neuroscience group within the UW Madison anesthesia department.

 

[neuroride]

I was a neuroscience major in college and maybe it directed me more towards anesthesia. Having the neuroscience degree did make some of the neuronal/cerebral anatomy and concepts easier in med school and as well as in anesthesia residency.