Expert: Ronald Levy, M.D. - 11/16/2009

Question
hello, I'd love to pursue a career in anesthesiology but i don't know where to start. i plan on going to bpcc then transferring to panola college. but i don't know what classes to take. so my question to you is, honestly how hard is it to become an anesthesiologist? and is it worth it in the end? also what are all the steps to becoming an anesthesiologist?

Answer
It's hard in that it is very competitive, requires 12 yrs after high school and it requires a lot of hard work. To become an anesthesiologist you need a bacjelor's degree from a 4 yr college, 4 yrs of medical school and 4 yrs of residency training. You can major in anything you want in college as long as you take the required premedical course (which any college can tell you what they are). There is no major in medical school. The things to look for in a college are the same as anyone looking for a good college. You want it to be competitive, to have a high caliber faculty, to have their own medical school (they often give preference to their graduates) and most importantly, that the faculty and coursework in your chosen major are of high quality. As for whether it's worth it in the end, only you can answer that. For me it was.


Ronald Levy, MD
Professor of Anesthesiology
UTMB-Galveston