Expert: Ronald Levy, M.D. - 10/3/2006

Question
hey,
i am interested in anesthesiology. so i was wondering what degree do i need to pursue, and do i need to be a physician just to be an anesthesiologist. i was also wondering that what is the difference between physician anesthesiologist, and the people who give anesthesia when undergoing an operation or surgical procedure
thank you
please reply soon.  

Answer
To become an anesthesiologist you need 4 yrs of 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.

Yes you need to be a physician to be an anesthesiologist.

I don't understand the last part of your question...The person giving anesthesia during a surgical procedure is an anesthesiologist (or perhaps a certified registered nurse anesthetist under the supervision of an MD)

Hope this helps,

Ronald Levy, MD
Associate Professor of Anesthesiology
UTMB-Galveston