Expert: Dr Ian Jackson - please note UK based - 10/24/2008

Question
What are the advantages and disadvantages of becoming an anesthesiologist?
What are the side affects after going through anesthesia?
What are the different majors for anesthesiology?

Answer
Sahar
I'm UK based so I am unable to answer your last question.
I must point out I am UK based and trained and so my comments are based on my experience over here.
Anaesthesia is a very good subspecialty of medicine here. I have a lot of female anaesthetic colleagues as anaesthesia in the UK does allow one to balance family life and work with some more control - compared to ther hospital based specialties. It is also very interesting as there as so many avenues that you can follow by providing anaesthesia services to different specialties. So certainly in the UK it is seen as being very compatible with family life.
However (for both male and female colleagues) you still have to be committed to the job. When a patient is in trouble or a list is running late you cannot just down tools and go home to your family. Similarly unlike many jobs there can be problems if a child falls ill and you then have to manage how to look after them and manage your job. That is true in all walks of life but in many it is easier to find temporary cover e.g. you have seen a difficult patient and talked them through how you are going to look after them for a big operation that is high risk for them, your child falls ill that morning - what do you do? I will finish as I started, anaesthesia is a great career and I have no regrets in having taken up my profession.
Side effects have been covered lots in our answers have a look at past answers.
Kind regards
Dr Ian Jackson