Expert: Ronald Levy, M.D. - 11/25/2007

Question
HI, I'm currently a high school studend but I have been deciding on studying anesthesiology for quite a while now. There's one thing I cant quite get straight. That is, college! I dont want to study for 12 years! But I do want to get a degree. I heard that in order to become an anesthesiologist I would have to go to college and then to medical school? And if that's the case, well then I have been thinking about attending University of Massachusetts. I know they have a medical field that is good. So exactly how many years and what courses would I have to take?

Answer
If you don't want to study for 12 years then you don't want to be an anesthesiologist! After 4 yrs of college/university you get a Bachelor's degree. After medical school you get an MD degree and after 4 more yrs of residency you are an anesthesiologist. There is no shorter way. There are prerequisite courses that you have to take in college including Calculus, physics, chemistry and biology plus any courses that your major requires.

Ronald Levy, MD
Associate Professor of Anesthesiology
UTMB-Galveston