Anesthesiologist Career Plan: Goals, Ethics, and Requirements

Educational Requirements for Becoming an Anesthesiologist

Becoming an anesthesiologist requires a bachelor's degree and a minimum of eight years of postgraduate work (Meier). Because different operations require different sedation procedures, in-depth knowledge of these processes is essential. The full training program includes medical school, an internship, and a mandatory residency. Upon completing all three prerequisites, the student must obtain a medical license from the state in which they reside. Before entering medical school, students complete a pre-med curriculum, and medical school then provides a general overview of the program's specialties. This training is particularly valuable in the field because it helps students become familiar with different sedation techniques.

After medical school, an internship is required so that students can practice the skills they have learned. Expertise in surgery, general medicine, and pediatric anesthesia is developed during the internship program. This is followed by a three-year residency, during which students spend one to two years learning specialties in anesthesiology. Students may choose to specialize in areas such as neurological, pediatric, or cardiac anesthesia. The most significant milestone is passing the anesthesiology examination administered by the American Board of Anesthesiology to become a certified anesthesia specialist.

In addition to formal certifications, certain personal qualifications are required. These include the ability to collaborate with physicians to minimize side effects for patients; strong communication and interpersonal skills for supporting and interacting with patients; physical stamina and manual dexterity for applying technical skills under pressure; and sound decision-making and judgment abilities for managing patients and their conditions effectively (Greenwood).

The proposed vision statement for this career goal is: "I will be a physician anesthesiologist working for an obstetrician hospital by the time I am 30 or older."

Goal 1: I will fulfill all the prerequisites for becoming a physician anesthesiologist with no grade lower than A– by Summer 2021.

Step 1: Enroll in a pre-med degree program focusing on biology, chemistry, health science, and physical science ("What Should I Major In").
Step 2: Complete a four-year medical degree program in pursuit of an anesthesiology specialty.
Step 3: Study core courses and complete relevant lab work in anatomy, medical ethics, biochemistry, and pharmacology during medical school, followed by clinical rotations during the clinical curriculum.

Vision Statement and Career Goals

Goal 2: I will train under an internship program at a well-known medical institute.

Step 1: Complete the residency internship to learn about patient care in an obstetrician hospital.
Step 2: Learn about the range of circumstances and complications specific to pregnant patients.
Step 3: Learn how anesthesia should be administered — and in what quantities — so that each pregnant patient's particular condition can be managed without adverse side effects.

Goal 3: During the internship and residency, the first year will be spent rotating through general surgery, internal medicine, intensive care, and obstetrics, among other areas; the following year will be dedicated to my specialty area, which is obstetric anesthesia for physician anesthesiologists (Bianco).

Step 1: Participate in daily rounds to monitor how diagnostic tests are producing results.
Step 2: Conduct in-depth follow-up assessments with selected patients to identify appropriate anesthetic levels.
Step 3: Attend lectures or conferences and consult with supervisors and the relevant treating physicians.

Goal 4: Pass the anesthesiology examination in accordance with specific state requirements.

Step 1: Study for the written and oral examinations for a minimum of six months.
Step 2: Become thoroughly familiar with the blueprints for my chosen anesthesiology specialization and practice consistently for the best results.
Step 3: Pass board certification through both the basic and advanced examinations.

The challenges I might face in becoming — or after becoming — an anesthesiologist include obtaining informed consent from patients; ethical challenges such as the patient's wishes not being respected, disagreement between the wishes of the family and those of the patient, complications in medical judgment, and questions about the patient's decision-making capacity; as well as sustaining professional values and practical challenges related to the provision of information, communication barriers, and time constraints (Waisel et al. 480).