Surgical operations can be a stressful experience for most people. This happens especially when there is a significant operation that involves having hours of surgery to fix the problems in your body. One thing that bothers patients is the amount of pain that they might experience while having the operation.
We need people who can help alleviate the pain and suffering every time we undergo surgeries. This should be done so that any surgery would not be a possibly traumatic experience to anyone.
Good thing anesthesiologists are there to get the job done. These people specialize in clinical medicine, diagnose and treat diseases, and certain psychiatric or physiological disorders. They also act as consultants to other physicians. However, one of their best-known tasks is supervising and performing surgical procedures, usually administering anesthesia to most surgeries.
Now that we’ve got you interested in becoming an anesthesiologist, here is everything you must know about becoming one.
Anesthesiologist Education Requirements
To become a successful anesthesiologist, you must have a bachelor of science degree, particularly in medicine. However, in Quebec, you must complete a college program and a year of pre-medicine university studies to become an anesthesiologist qualified for the job. You must also graduate from an approved medical school, and you must have specific specialty training.
Licensing and Other Professional Requirements
Anesthesiologists are classified as under-regulated professions. Meaning, they must be certified by their respective provincial or territorial regulatory authorities before practicing the profession. Also, there are licensing examinations that anesthesiologists must accomplish and pass with flying colors administered by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.
Anesthesiologists are also required to undergo years of training and residency to be qualified for the job. This usually lasts for five years of training. Their training consists of extensive training in human physiology, particularly the heart, brain, lungs, liver, and kidneys. They also spend a year working in medical areas such as cardiology and respirology.
They also spend six months in critical care units. These include coronary care, pediatric and adult intensive care, and neonatal. It is expected that they have become anesthesia experts, urgent care, resuscitation, and pain management by the end of their training.
For anesthesiologists who have successfully completed their training overseas, they may take the same specialty exams after undergoing a process to ensure they met the high standards required for Canadian anesthesiologists.
Family Practice Anesthetists are a particular group in Canada, primarily based in rural areas. They are skilled individuals who have qualifications in Family Medicine. They have completed additional training in any university departments of anesthesia.
Skills, Knowledge, and Other Requirements
Aside from the required education requirements, residency, licensing, and other certifications, anesthesiologists must also have the necessary skills and other requirements. They must also be highly knowledgeable in several areas that they can use to further their careers and experience as highly successful anesthesiologists.
Anesthesiologists are tasked to have the necessary skill sets in performing most of their tasks, such as diagnosing and treating diseases and psychiatric and physiological disorders. They are also expected to write prescriptions for medication and treatment, and they also refer patients for surgery.
They may be asked to order laboratory tests, X-rays, and other diagnostic procedures needed to accomplish the surgeries. They should also supervise laboratory activities and assess the patients and their diseases or disorders to determine appropriate surgical procedures.
Lastly, they must be present in every surgical procedure to perform and supervise the operations. This is to correct the physical abnormalities, deficiencies, and other repair injuries.
They must also have competent knowledge in topics and subjects such as client service, business administration, medicine, therapy and counseling, chemistry, and biology. They are also expected to have high knowledge in mathematics and science, health services, business, finance, and management.
Anesthesiologist Salary, Wages, Job Prospects and Opportunities
Like other medical professions in Canada, anesthesiologists are paid well compared to other occupations in the country. There are no recorded average hourly salaries for provinces and territories. Still, there are yearly salaries available for every province and territory in Canada. The annual national average for anesthesiologists in Canada amounts up to $275,247. It starts from $99,478 a year and can go up to $560,036 a year.
Anesthesiologists working in Manitoba earn as much as $662,710 yearly. On the other hand, anesthesiologists working in Ontario start earning from $87,883 per year. This makes Manitoba anesthesiologists the highest earners in the country and Ontario anesthesiologists’ lowest earners in the country.
However, please note that these figures are only for the basic salary. It does not include the commissions, bonuses, incentives, and other perks and benefits that anesthesiologists get in Canada. It is also highly dependent on several factors, such as the years of experience, additional certifications, and other qualifications that affect their basic salaries and compensation packages.
