Expert: Ronald Levy, M.D. - 8/21/2007

Question
By reading some of the other questions you said to become an anesthesiologist you need 4 yrs of college, 4 yrs of medical school and 4 yrs of residency training. that is 12 yrs of schooling after high school so general you will be about 30. That is so much time you have in just school. Do you get paid during residency school or do you start getting paid at 30? So with all the school bills afterwards i guess the general question is.....Is it worth it???

Answer
Only you know if it is worth it to you. The average student graduates college at 21, medical school at 24 and residency at 28. You get paid during your residency (around $40,000). As far as bills afterwards, yes, your loans are high but so is your salary. If you don't love what you do, don't do it. If you are thinking of going into anesthesia for the money, you can make a lot more money in other professions but they may not be as personally fulfilling or rewarding. That is up to you. I love medicine so salary (while important) is not the most important to me.

Ronald Levy, MD
Associate Professor of Anesthesiology
UTMB-Galveston