Expert: JM Starkman, MD - 4/24/2010

Question
I am in high school right now, but I really want to be an anesthesiologist I know that it requires a lot of schooling and that you devote your life to it. I heard that hospitals want nurse anesthetists over anesthesiologists because NA's do the same exact thing as the anesthesiologist does and do not get paid as much so hospitals like them better. which do you recommend?

Answer
Since I don't know you, I  recommend you review the "downside"  of each choice and see which fits you better:  The time, cost and devotion to get to be an anesthesiologist is considerably more than that of a nurse anesthetist.  Salaries differ considerably. Time required once one is established to work in various clinical settings varies widely.  Various regulations now and (unforeseeable ones) in the future will impact all of medicine in different ways--in some states nurse anesthetists may practice without a physician supervising their activities, whereas in others doctors must certify that the clinical actions of anesthetists is OK----and that means taking on the legal/liability of their actions, purchasing medical malpractice insurance to cover those actions, and answering to a board of medicine if there is a "screw up"--nurse anesthetist fault or not.  

The question may come down to whether you want to be a nurse or a doctor........you really ought to spend a good deal of time shadowing both in a variety of settings over the next couple of years to get a good handle on the matter.  Ask each what they like most and least about their jobs....and have them give you examples.