Expert: Ronald Levy, M.D. - 11/14/2006

Question
Hi, my names is james and i am a senior in high school. i recently shadowed an anesthesiologist at a hospital and i am almost 100% sure that i want to pursue a career in anesthesia. i am in the process of applying to colleges and choosing majors. at the moment i am thinking about going for a physiology major. is physiology a good choice and what are some other undergraduate degrees that would be most beneficial to me and my desired career.

Answer
Physiology is a good choice but you are not limited to majors in the biological specialties. These days people get into medical school with English degrees or Math degrees as often as Biology (as long as you take the required pre-requisite courses for medical school. In college you want to study what you most enjoy because you will never get that chance again. Obviously if your passion is medicine, then science course will predominate and courses in biochemistry, physiology, anatomy and vertebrate structure will be very useful.

Ronald Levy, MD
Associate Professor of Anesthesiology
UTMB-Galveston