How do You Become an Anesthesiologist?

Before we discuss how to become an anesthesiologist, it may be helpful to discuss what an anesthesiologist is. Simply put, an anesthesiologist is a physician (M.D., or D.O.) who administers pain-killing gas or injections during operations and surgical procedures. This could include a variety of drugs and levels of anesthesia from a local numbing agent to general anesthesia where the patient is rendered completely unconscious for the duration of the surgery.

Anesthesiologists are an integral part of the surgery team and must work well with surgeons, surgical techs, and nurses. Some anesthesiologists choose to specialize in pain management, as opposed to traditional surgical anesthesia. Pain management anesthestiologists generally run an office-based practice, administering a variety of injections, pain blocks, and medications to help patients manage chronic or acute pain due to an injury, disease, or other disorder.

This could include back pain, neck pain, chronic migraines or headaches, and a variety of other severe pain.