Expert: Dr Ian Jackson - please note UK based - 9/1/2006

Question
oh thats alright... but can you tell me what things you go through in a days work?
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Followup To

Question -
i understand that you fully become an anesthesiologist when you finish your residency, but i heard you got a couple of months before being board certified. Exactly what does that mean, and what will you be doing in those couple of months?

Answer -
Hi there
Sorry but I have never worked in the USA and so have no knowledge of the training system there.
Many apologies that I can't help.
Dr Ian Jackson

Answer
Hi Robby
Now that I can answer (though again remember the UK perspective).
Background to UK training.
Firstly I did 5 years at medical school followed by 1 year as a junior house officer. Then I went into anaesthesia training which took a further 6 years. I was then appointed as a Consultant Anaesthetist.
Working day
This is very varied for anaesthetists as we cover a large numbers of sub specialties. This ranges from provision of general and local anaesthesia in theatres for inpatients or ambulatory care patients (day cases) to working in the maternity unit to provide analgesia and anaesthesia for woman in labour. Then of course there are the fields of Intensive Care and Chronic Pain which are also largely covered by anaesthetists in the UK.
So life is very varied!
A typical day for me is to go and see my patients scheduled for my morning list, chat to them, explain what is going to happen, discuss the best way to manage their anaesthetic and agree a management plan with them. I then go to theatre and check my equipment and prepare the drugs for the first patient. I look after each patient individually and try and visit them on the ward postoperatively. The process is repeated for the afternoon list. Each surgical specialty I work for brings different requirements for the anaesthetist. So each list brings different challenges.
I enjoy it.
Hope this helps.
Dr Ian Jackson