Anesthesiologist Assistant

Anesthesiologist assistants operate anesthesia equipment, monitor patients, and assist in providing quality care.

Summary

Anesthesiologist Assistants are highly skilled professionals who work under the direction of licensed anesthesiologists (doctors) and exclusively within the Anesthesia Care Team environment as described by the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) to design and implement anesthesia care plans. They may accompany the patient before, during and after anesthesia to ensure quality and continuity of care. In an emergency, Anesthesiology Assistants are trained to assist in life saving measures, such as CPR, and life support.

Anesthesiologist Assistants are in high demand, because of rising health care costs and the need for skilled personnel to monitor the patient under anesthesia. Anesthesiology Assistants operate as physician extenders, performing critical tasks that ensure the safety of the patient and promote optimal health outcomes.

Educational Requirements

Anesthesiologist Assistants must first complete a four-year college degree, with course work in general and organic chemistry, advanced college math, general and advanced biology, and physics.

The two-year, master’s level Anesthesiology Assistant training program focuses on course work that enhances basic science knowledge in physiology, pharmacology, anatomy, and biochemistry with special emphasis on the cardiovascular, respiratory, renal, nervous, and neuromuscular systems.

Look for a program that is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP), works closely with a medical school, and is taught by physicians who are board-certified in anesthesiology.

Salary Information 2023

According to the salary.com, the median salary of an Anesthesiologist Assistant in 2023 was $172,827.

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Information retrieved from ExploreHealthCareers.org: Anesthesiologist Assistant.