High Salary Careers: Anesthesiologist Career Information

Name: Dianna Keneally
Job Title: Anesthesiologist
Where: Maine
Employer: Private Hospital (formerly self-employed)
Years of Experience: 21
Education: B.Sc. in Chemistry, M.D., Anesthesiology Residency
Salary: See the PayScale Research Center for median anesthesiology salaries.

High Salary Careers: Anesthesiologist Career Information

For folks who have ever asked "What is the job outlook for an anesthesiologist?" or wondered about anesthesiology salaries, this career interview won't put you under. We recently spoke to Dianna Keneally, an experienced anesthesiologist, who shed some light on this high salary career.

This interview covers the job description of an anesthesiologist, factors that affect anesthesiology salaries, and how to become an anesthesiologist - including what education is needed to become an anesthesiologist. The path to becoming an anesthesiologist requires intensive training. The job also comes with great responsibility, which is reflected in high anesthesiology salaries, even for those just starting out. If you're looking for anesthesiology career information, this Salary Story will painlessly lead you in the right direction.

Anesthesiologist Job Description:

Anesthesiologists give medications to make a patient lose consciousness, which keeps the patient from feeling pain during surgery. At the end of the surgical procedure, the anesthesiologist quits giving the medicines which keep the patient asleep. At other times, an anesthesiologist may use a "block" type of anesthesia which numbs a part of the body, so despite the patient being awake during surgery, the patient is not feeling any pain.

In some surgical procedures, the patient does not need to be unconscious or numb, but just needs to be sedated to help them through a procedure that is less painful. In that case, anesthesiologists monitor the patient's heart rate, blood pressure and oxygen saturation while also providing the sedating medications. Another aspect of the anesthesiologist's job is pain management, either in the "acute" setting - the first few days after surgery, or in a "chronic" setting - months or years.

Can you describe your anesthesiology career steps?

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I knew I wanted to go into medicine in high school. I selected science courses and advanced placement classes in high school as well as in college. In addition to my major subjects and college requirements for my degree (chemistry in my case), I also had pre-med requirements to take. Late in college, I took the MCAT (Medical College Admissions Test) as a requirement for the application process for medical school. Additionally, there were face-to-face interviews, personal recommendations, as well as my college transcript involved in my acceptance process to medical school.

In medical school, the first two years were didactic, lecture-style learning for the most part. There were some hands-on patient contacts beginning our second year. Our third year was core rotations in the basic areas of medicine with hands-on patient care - pediatrics, internal medicine, obstetrics-gynecology, surgery, psychiatry and some basic electives.

Our fourth year involved out-patient medicine, a family practice rotation, and electives based on our interests or anticipated specialty training. After graduation from medical school, there was a flexible or rotating internship followed by three years of anesthesiology and all its areas of specialization such as cardiac, major vascular, neuroanesthesia, orthopedics, pediatrics, ENT, outpatient techniques, critical care medicine, etc.

How did you decide on an anesthesiology career?

In my case, I had worked ten years in another area of medicine, and knew I needed to change something. So, I returned to school for a second residency; after thinking back on my rotations in medical school and my first residency and remembering which rotations were the most enjoyable, I chose anesthesiology.

What is the job outlook for an anesthesiologist?

Currently, the job outlook is good. A few years back, a number of residencies closed their doors or dropped a number of slots per year. That created fewer people coming out of residency programs at a time when increasing numbers of practicing anesthesiologists were retiring or cutting back on their hours.

What factors can affect anesthesiology salaries?

Anesthesiology salaries are influenced by the level of the hospital that one works at (i.e. a trauma center vs. a small community hospital).

University hospitals pay far lower, but allow anesthesiologists time for research, teaching, etc. When I was a self-employed anesthesiologist, I was paid by the case - if we worked hard, we were paid for that hard work. As a hospital employee, I am probably paid more than what I could contract with insurance companies. The anesthesiologist's bill for services, whether self-employed or hospital employed, is a separate bill to the patient, and is not included on the hospital bill.

How does your salary compare to anesthesiology salaries? The PayScale Salary Calculator is a quick and easy way to compare positions. But when you want powerful salary data and comparisons customized for your exact position, be sure to build a complete profile by taking PayScale's full Salary Survey. 

• Anesthesiology Salaries by Employer Type
• Anesthesiologist Career Information for High School Students
• Dianna's Web Site - ASheepInWoolsClothing.typepad.com
• Hugged Your Anesthesiologist? - Anesthesioboist.blogspot.com

Comments

[Josh]

I'm a second-year med student in Canada, but I've done an elective in anesthesia and otherwise spent a lot of time in the OR. It's an interesting field, but I lean more toward surgery proper. To anyone still in college (or high school!), I'd advise that's it way too early to be thinking about a specialty, much less one as specific as anesthesia. Think about becoming a physician (and the reasons for it), and about what it takes even to get to that point. If you're in high school, you almost certainly don't have the slightest idea what a career in anesthesia entails, what an average day is like, or even about medical school in general. All of that is fine, though, because you shouldn't! I know I sure didn't. Take things one step at a time. I can't fathom how someone in grade 9 or 10 can know that they want to be anesthesiologist.

[Megan]

My name is Megan and I am a junior in high school. I have thought for a very long time that Anesthesiology was the job for me. I was recently assigned a paper in my English class in which we have to research the jobs we want and interview actual people with our profession. The more I learn about this career, the more mortified I am of pursuing it. I'm still confident that this is a job that I'd love doing but I'm not sure I am taking the right steps in order to get there. Math is something I don't do well in and that worries me very much for this job. However, I do exceptionally well in Science. Which one should I be worried about? Is this job really worth all of the hard work and studying that is put into it?

[michael]

hi, im a freshman in highschool and thinking about becoming an anestisiologist. The main problem with it is that I want to spend a few years in the navy as an f-35 pilot, and if I do that, i'm not going to be fully licenced until i'm almost 40. is there any way to speed up the process or does it matter much. also do interns get paid and if so how much. and one last thing, what couses would i take in highschool that would help me in this profesion and what should i major in or does that matter.

[Brandon Echevarria]

Hi, my name is Brandon Echevarria and I'm currently in high school but I've learned that I wanted to become anesthesiologist. Would you know how I can prepare myself, despite the fact that I'm young, what courses do you believe I should take at my age. I've also studied the job career very throughly and I'm taking college courses offered at my high school.

P.S I'm a junior in high school

[John Mersle]

Would like to respond to the nursing student who wants to go to medical school. It is possible for a nurse to go to medical school however, the path is very difficult to impossible. First graduate from nursing school, and work a nurse for some years gaining good life experience, then go back and complete premed courses at a good university. Then take your MCAT and score in the double digits with total of about 28-32, and have a compelling story to tell about your life, then maybe after all that hard work and long years you might be accepted. Also try and develop a repoir with a local medical school, and get to know the admission team, including perhaps the non-traditional admissions officer of the medical school.
Hope this helps.

[Brian B]

Hey, I am a sophomore in college and I am majoring in nursing. I would like to become an anesthesiologist, but I do not know what is the proper path to take! I am majoring in nursing and then I would like to go to med school. I know it is a long path, but I am willing to endure the time for my future. I have a 2.75 GPA in college right now, and this semester I am doing much better. So my plans so far are get into the nursing program (if recommended by you), bring up my GPA in the process, and get into the UCF medical school. I need to know if my current path is a good path to take, and I would like to know what else I should do to make myself stick out from my peers. Thanks in advance

[Jerrond Watson]

Hello, my name is Jerrond Watson and im a freshman in high school in Riverdale Georgia and i was very interested in anesthesiology so i did a project on it and i enjoyed doing it but it is one thing i dont really know what classes i should take to achieve my goal?

[Sonika]

Hello. I am completing my second year of community college. I will be doing an extra year to complete my Organic Chemistry and Calculus courses. So far I have taken Biology, Zoology, Botany, General Physics, General Chemistry, First Year Calculus, English courses, Stats, and my GE. I am majoring in Biochemistry with a concentration in Pharmaceutical Chemistry. I have a 3.56 GPA. I will either be attending UC Davis, UC Berkeley, or UCLA. I would love to become an Anesthesiologist. The question I have is, could I get any feedback on my chances for Med school? I was thinking about becoming a Pharmaceutical Chemist for the longest time, but after reading up on this career, I find myself drawn more to it. Please guide me to what I do after I attend a University.

[Louiza Saint-hillien]

hi i had just choosen to become an anesthesiologist intead of an obgyn because i want to be a part of the surgery team without doing the actual surgery. i am a junior in high school with a 4.0 GPA. i dont like science, even though i do well in it, but for my senior year i was wondering if i should take AP biology or AP physics. i was leaning more into AP biology because my intended major in college is medical technology and i want to be as prepared as i can. can u please send me your opinion and insight on which class to take because i am REALLY confused. also, is it possible to work while you are in medical school? hope to hear from you soon. thank you.

[Brandi McCloud]

Hi im 20 years old and i have made it my goal to become a anesthesiologist im very serious about this line of work i been out of high school for 3 years now and i really want a career in medicine im currently in the process of joining the US navy to pay for school when i got out of high school i got right into college i was only in college for a year when i realize how unhappy i was and thats when i made the decision to sign up for the military i really want to be sucessful in life and be proud of myself knowing that i accomplish my goals that i sat out to accomplish my love for helping others is strong i realize that at a early age so i know its in me to be a anesthesiologist i know its going to be hard work and dedication and patients but i know i can do this if any MD or anyone have any opinions on the path im taking to reach my goal please write me thank you

[Lavonda]

hello, my name is lavonda, and i'm from MS. I was wondering, would i have to move to another area to make a good pay? or stay here and work in the hospital?

[Patrick Neufeld]

I am 32 years old and have an MBA in Finance... Am I too late to go back to school for Medicine? My student loans sit at about 100k so far... I would have to take all the science classes since I haven't done any in years. Any advice?

[alex]

I'm a 4th year medical student currently matching into anesthesiology. My academic career was as follows: 1550 SAT (out of 1600), 37 MCAT, 248 USMLE Step 1. I graduated premed, neuroscience, economics double major from a very premed oriented university.
To answer some of the above questions:
For High Schoolers...it is still early and you have plenty of opportunities to fix whatever mistakes you might have accumulated in your academic career so far. That being said, you need to buckle down and really start doing well in school. The key to getting into medical school is often a solid, consistent academic performance. If you get 4.0's one semester, then 2.0's another semester...that is often frowned upon because of inconsistency. You have to realize that you are competing with the brightest students in the country for a very limited number of spots at medical school. They have the luxury of excluding people they think might not be a solid performer at their institution.
For College students:
The MCAT does NOT test math. It is composed of a 1.Verbal section of reading comprehension, 2.Biological Science section with organic chemistry and biology, and 3.Physical Science section with chemistry and physics, 4. Writing section, 2 short essays. You are scored 1-15 on Verbal, Biological Science, Physical Science sections. Writing is scored separated with a letter grade.
Average MCAT scores run around 24-25. HOWEVER, the average person to get into medical school probably gets around a 30. If you are shooting for top ranked institutions...aim higher.

Premed= 2 semesters of chemistry, 2 semesters of biology, 2 semesters of physics, 2 semesters of college level math, 2 semesters of organic chemistry, all the associated labs, 2 semesters of writing intensive courses. It is NOT a major in and of itself. This means if you choose a science major, you will often fulfill your major requirements and premed requirements at the same time. If you are a humanities major...you have more work to do, but it is still very doable within a 4 year college time frame.
***It is NOT just about numbers. Remember that medicine is considered a humanitarian field. You are there to serve your community and your patients. This means med schools look very highly upon candidates who demonstrate lots of COMMUNITY SERVICE. As a physician, you will lead teams of nurses, residents, medical students, hospital support staff, etc. So they look for LEADERSHIP qualities. Lastly, one of the biggest responsibilities of a physician is communicating with the patient. You need to demonstrate good COMMUNICATION skills, INTERPERSONAL skills, PERSUASION skills, etc.

For med students matching into anesthesia like me, it is not a terribly difficult match. Average board scores are around 220 for Step 1. You do not have to be AOA or have extensive research either. Just be a solid dependable candidate, hard working, good letters of recommendation. Your 3rd year grades are the most important.
Hope this helps.
Alex

[Kayla]

hi. ive been wanting to become an anesthesiologist since i can remember. i was just wondering if it that difficult to be one and how long does it take? would you recommend it?

[akia]

okay i wanted to be a anesthesiologist since forever. what steps can i take to prepare for being an anesthesiologist while i'am in high school(i'am a freshmen now)

[Brandon]

please email me

[Medical Student]

Shantel,

Pick a major you like. Many of my fellow classmates have non-traditional majors like computer science, psychology, chemical engineering, and even accounting. Just choose a major you would enjoy studying, but I would say zoology would help a bit because of the biology classes you will be taking. Just make sure you take elective courses that would help you on the MCAT like physiology, biochemistry, cell biology, organic chemistry, etc.

Medical school is definitely more challenging than college. Is it more stressful? I guess it is...but honestly you get used to it and it's not so bad anymore. It's all relative.

And to answer your other question...I recall a program that was paying ~45k/year but don't have any hard evidence to back that up. It probably depends a lot on where you are doing your residency too.

[Medical Student]

It's nice that some of you have such high aspirations, but you should seriously take things one step at a time. If you're in high school, concentrate on high school so that you can get into a good college. GPA in high school is irrelevant to medical school and is only relevant to getting into an undergraduate university. Medical schools won't even see your high school GPA.

Once you're in college, do well in all your classes and take the MCAT. A competitive GPA is 3.5+ but most school's have averages of 3.65+. A competitive MCAT score is 30+.

Once you're in medical school, you'll still have to do well in class because anesthesiology is a competitive field. Moral of the story is...work hard every step of the way and you'll get there eventually. You're looking at 12+ years of education/training AFTER high school. And to the person wondering about residency salaries, I recall a program that was paying ~45k/year but don't have any hard evidence to back that up. It probably depends a lot on where you are doing your residency too.

[Shantel Skeen]

I was also wondering how much you get paid during residency. My dad is into saving and paying off loans so i want to have a heads up if i can get rid of my loans fast and what track to take just an est. will be great.

[Shantel Skeen]

I am from Utah i am attending Weber State University. I just started school and I am majoring in Zoology. Is that a good major for medical school? They say medical school is fast pace and way stressful and you hardly sleep is that also true?

[Brandon]

please email me

[Brandon]

sorry again but i have another question i never did to good in english and i was reading another comment and would like to know if even though im not so good in english if i can make it

[Brandon]

im sorry but i keep thinking of more questions and i got 3.2 and up my freshman year if i keep a high gpa the rest or my high school career will i be able to make it

[Brandon]

how much do you get paide during residency though money has noting to do with my wish to presue this career

[Brandon]

Hi im Brandon and i am a sophmore in high school an i knew i wanted a job in the medical pathway but i did not know what i wanted to do i recently decided i wanted to become a anesthesiologist and i would like to know if john hopkins would be a good medical school to attend i know it is great and i would like to know if all the years of school is werth it and i would also like to know what job i could do while attending medical school in the medical field with my Bachlors degree pleas help i need guidence i would really like to presue this career

[Rapael Henson]

Hello my name is Raphael from houston , texas i am coming up on my senior year in high school and my goal is to become a anesthesiologist i am very interested i love science chemistry biology and so on i have always been a good student in those areas recently i took a trip to germany with one of my teachers and she was telling me i would be a good idea if i came to germany to study because they have some of the best universities i would just like a little guidence from professional

[Alexia Watkins]

Hi, I'm Alexia and I'm entering my 3rd year of high school. I am interested in becoming an anesthesiologist, but I have a few questions. what am I supposed to major in once I'm in college? I think it's biology but I'm not sure. And also, where does pre-med come in at in college? I will be one of the 1st generations to go to college, so I am trying to figure this out. Do you know a good college to go to to prepare for medical school? Also in the past from horrible science experiences my science grades haven't been too good. If I get good science grades junior and senior year do I have a chance to become an anesthesiologist? Thank you for your help.

[Theresa]

Hi i'm interested in becoming an Anesthesiologist and i'm in my third year of High school i was wondering what classes do i need to take in high school. and may you please e-mail me thank you

[Avery]

Hello, I am interested in become an anesthesiologist. I am doing a research paper on it and was wondering if you might be able to e-mail and answer a few questions.
Thank you.

[Mia]

How much do you get paid during the four years of residency?

[Rebecca Nelcy]

Hello, i just recently decided that i might consider a carrer in anesthesiology. Am scared because it looks like i have to be a ble to get perfect grades only. Am a junior in high school i maintained a 3.2 GPA, my grades differ from A's to B's and rarely C's, next year i will take AP biology, and AP composition, is that good enough to get me through medical school to become an anesthesiologist!!!!!

[Veronica Saufley]

Hello, right now I'am a sophmore and I recently just got interseted in becoming an anesthesiologist. I know I want to become something in the medical field but wasn't too sure of what exactly until I read about this. It seems like something I might actually want to study but I'am not sure of how I should start this process. Another concern of mine is if its a good career if you have a child. I'am a single teenage mom who still wishes to full fill her dream of becoming somthing in the medical field, but do you think its a good choice? If so what should I mostly study and focus in?

[Amanda]

I am a senior in high school and I have decided to become an anesthesiologist. Everyone is telling me it's a very hard road to take, but its worth it in the end. I have a 3.0 GPA and I was wondering if I go to a community college and get my Nursing Degree, when I apply to med school, how much time will it take to become an anesthesiologist?

[drew]

well i really want to become an Anesthesiologist and everything. But what really are my chances of becoming one?

[Rob]

Hi, I am a freshman at oakland community college my first semester i had a 1.5 gpa beacuse i had to work and forgot to drop 2 of my classes my second semester i got a 3.5 gpa im plannning to go to wayne state university after my second year at oakland community college bc its cheaper.. i was wondering do you think if i keep my grades up..would i still have a chance to get accpted into medical school? or did i ruin my chances?!!

Thank You!!

[BAM MAC]

i am in junior high school and have around an 82% average and i am wondering if that is high enough to get into mediacal school to become an anesthesiologist?????

[Jessica]

I am a junior in high school with a 4.0 gpa, and i think that I would like to become an anesthesiologist. What do I need to be doing in order to obtain this goal, and where are some schools that could help me. Thank you so much

[Dalton Oneil Sanders]

I am a sophmore in high school and I have wanted to be an Anesthesiologist since I was in 3rd grade. I would like to know some more information about becoming an Anesthesiologist, like how many years I have to go to college and what classes I need to take and what I need to do to get in the program. If you could help me in any way I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you.

[Jeffery A. Clark, MD]

I am a U.S. trained anesthesiologist and am desiring to relocate to Mexico to practice. Where would I obtain info on opportunities there? thank you for your help. Jeff Clark, MD

[Amanda Snyder]

I am a freshmen in high school and I am interested in Anesthesiology. I am just concerned about what type of grades I need to become an Anesthesiologist. I am aware that you need exelent grades, but does that include As and Bs. Or do you have to have straight As through college, medical school, and anything else I might take? Please let me know. Thank you.

[Shelby]

Buenos noches, 24-year-old Ryan Shelby Butler here, but I go by Shelby. I've been out of college for a year now searching the trenches of my mind to figure out what I want in life and have come full circle to the medical field. I graduated with a Lib. Arts degree after 5-and-a-half years with about an average 2.6 GPA and a wide range of classes (Several adversities to overcome while going to school, not the problem at hand though...tangent!). I know it's not much so far for a prospective doctor's portfolio. Anywho, I'm wondering how hopeful it is for someone in my situation to pursue anesthesiology...? Thank you

[BECCA !]

YOU DIDN'T GIVE ME WHAT I NEED!

[Mark-Neil]

First year medical student here interested in anesthesiology. First things first -- anyone who is interested in medicine should excel in COLLEGE. Get the best grades possible on your medical school prerequisites (General Chemistry, Biology, Organic Chemistry, Physics, Math, English). I am talking about A's and B's. Excel on the MCATs. There is tutoring available for the right price such as Kaplan or Princeton Review, but this mostly covers techniques with MCAT test taking and some review over the course material which you should know cold anyways b/c you did so well on the prereqs =).

Most importantly, choose a major that you LOVE and are PASSIONATE about. It doesn't have to be Biology, Chemistry, Neuroscience, Biochemistry, etc. There are medical students that are Music, History, English, and Computer Science majors. Just remember to excel in the prereqs mentioned above and in your major.

Remember to be passionate about medicine.

[Ariel Alexander]

Hi, I'm a freshman in college and I REALLY want to become an Anesthesiologist. Right now I'm undecided in a major. The university I attend now in not known at all for sending students to medical school, it’s more known for social work and education. However, we do have some science and math courses available such as chemistry, statistics and biology. My high school GPA was 3.7 and I excelled in everything in high school but I was just average in math. I do understand that college courses can be if not more difficult than high school courses. Right now my mid-semester GPA in college is a 3.0 Do you think I have a shot at medical school? What should I major in? Should I attend a different university or does that matter?

[Jessica Jones]

I am almost finished with two years of college and I am planning on becoming a nurse anesthetist. I was Valedictorian of my class, and I have about a 3.6 in college. Science is one of my weakest areas, although I am very interested in it. Since CRNA's are closely related to anesthesiology, do you think I should pursue this career.

[jamie butler]

I'm a junior in high school I'm taking some colledage classes as dual enrollment with the local university. I am thinking seriously about becameing a anesthesiologist. I make a's and b's in most of my classes do you think that being an anesthesiologist is worth going to school so long

[Ryan]

Kia, the avergae GPA at the medical school which I attend is a 3.7. If you want to go MD it would be a good idea to have above a 3.5. You could probably get in with lower grades if you smoke the MCAT, but in my experience grades correlate with MCAT scores. There is always DO school. PA school is a great option and a girl in my class quit and went back to PA school after a year of med school and while the rest of the class is starting residency she will have a job with a decent salary and time off of work to spend with her two daughters.

[Kia]

I'm in college I've been in college for 2 semesters so far. My first semester I had atleast a 3.0 then second semester I had a 2.0. Then I have to retake 3 classes. I had so much going on that semester. I really do want to become an anesthesiologist. Do you think that I've ruined my chances of being accepted? Or do you think I still have a chance?

[Micael]

Hi, my name is Micael Cano. I'm from Laredo Texas and my career interest is on becoming an anesthesiologist. I've read most of your entry already. I was wondering if there's anything personal you would recommend a freshmen in high school to take to prepare himself?