My Future is in my Hands

My future career goal is to become an anesthesiologist. An anesthesiologist administers an anesthetic to patients before going into surgery. They also have to keep monitor of vital life signs and make sure everything in the body is functioning properly while under the anesthetic. I think being an anesthesiologist is something I'd enjoy being because I like being in control. I like making sure people are okay and that is specifically what anesthesiologists do; they make sure the patient can't feel any pain and is comfortable during surgery.

Anesthesia is used in almost every single surgery. It is a numbing medicine that numbs the nerves and makes the body go unconscious. You can't feel anything or move while under the sedative and are often delusional after being taken off of the anesthetic. Believe it or not, about roughly two hundred years ago doctors didn't use anesthesia during surgery. It was rarely ever practiced. Patients could feel everything and were physically held down while being operated on. It wasn't until 1846 that a dentist first used an anesthetic on a patient going into surgery and the practice spread and became popular. To this day, advancements are still being made in anesthesiology. The more scientists learn about molecules and anesthetic side effects, the better ability to design agents that are more targeted, more effective and safer, with fewer side effects for the patients. Technological advancements will make it easier to read vital life signs in a person and help better decide the specific dosages a person needs.

Becoming an anesthesiologist requires a tremendous amount of schooling and training. Anesthesiologists require tons of knowledge in physiology, anatomy, and psychology. According to the Minnesota Career Information System, an Anesthesiologist requires a Phd degree and four year residency in the field of anesthesiology. Students in high school looking into becoming an anesthesiologist can prepare for a medical career by concentrating on advanced science classes such as biology and chemistry. High school students can also volunteer or work at a hospital to receive first-hand experience working around healthcare professionals and patients. As for being an undergraduate in college, students can pursue any major they want, but should plan a pre-med course of study in order to have the required classes met for entering medical school (Career Resources: Anesthesiologist). However, entering medical school isn't easy. Medical schools across the nation only accept about 7% of its applicants on average. Your score on the MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) plays a huge role on admission to medical school, as well as college GPA. In addition, most medical schools love to see the student have past experience in the hospital, including volunteering and internships.

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