Anesthesiologist Assistant Schools

The advantages of attending anesthesiologist assistant schools are many, including job satisfaction, a good income, and working in the rewarding field of healthcare.

The Anesthesiologist assistant is a specialty physician assistant under the supervision of a licensed Anesthesiologist. The Anesthesiologist Assistant's responsibilities are related to the Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist's (CRNA). In the field of medicine and health care, there are few areas that are more important than that of an Anesthesiologist. They are responsible for placing a patient under an anesthetic and monitoring them during surgery or other procedures. Essential to this doctor is their assistant who performs duties to make the physician's job go much smoother. Training for this position is available at Anesthesiologist Assistant Schools. When applying to an institution that offers the anesthesiologist assistant program applicants must have completed certain requirements that may include chemistry, biochemistry, human anatomy and physiology, and pharmacology. Having a first degree is often mandatory, and typically, applicants hold degrees in the sciences although this is not mandatory.

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Anesthesiologist Assistant Training and Education

In order to perform this most important task, the Assistant must undergo special training at an accredited school and undertake a post-baccalaureate program, leading to a degree. This program covers a period of 24 to 28 months. A number of pre-med, undergraduate courses are required such as biology, chemistry, physics and math as well as clinical practice. Other post-baccalaureate majors, are acceptable if the pre-med requirements are met.

The majority of programs in anesthesiologist assistant schools are broken into increments of study, starting out with semesters one through four, which held mainly in the classroom. Studies on anesthesia practice foundations, mock operating rooms and lab work. A small amount of actual clinical experience will be had at this time.

Semesters five, six, and seven will consist of clinical rotations eventually working into full time clinical experience. This experience will include such things as general surgery, orthopedics and all areas where anesthesia is required. The time required for the clinical rotations can be day, night, weekends or on call situations.

All AA's in the United States must be certified by the National Commission for Certification of Anesthesiologist Assistants (NCCAA). This certification requires examinations in all areas of the field and must be taken every six years. It also requires continuing, and registering, medical education in the field every two years.

Anesthesiologist Assistant Careers

Upon graduation an AA is expected to be able to perform many preoperative duties such as collecting data, inserting catheters, assisting the anesthesiologist in administering and monitoring nerve blockage, perform intra-operative monitoring, provide recovery room care and many other duties. Also involved might be working in intensive care units and adjusting anesthetic levels.

A career as an anesthesiologist assistant means providing needed support for patient care. This can include operation of electronic computer-based monitors, work in a laboratory involved with anesthesia and working with other team members to assure the patient's safety. An AA is considered a crucial member of the medical team providing for a patient's medical care and recovery.

Expected Salary and Projected Career Growth

Members in this profession are very well paid. The starting salary reported was $95,000 to $120,000. This was for an average 40-hour week and did not include benefits such as vacations, sick leave and pensions. It is reported that the high end of the scale is $160,000 to $180,000 which includes overtime.

The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median wage of $40.58 per hour which equals $84,420 per year however, this varies according to state. With the aging population, and people who are currently working in this field retiring, it is expected that the demand will continue to grow for people who attend anesthesiologist assistant schools and enter this profession. In addition to paying well, there is a great deal of personal satisfaction in knowing that one has helped someone recover from a serious health issue.