An Interview with an Anesthesiologist

Have you ever wondered who ensures that you don't feel pain during a surgery? That's the role of the anesthesiologist! They make sure that patients are kept still, relaxed, asleep or numb, and pain-free before, during, and after the operation. In this article, I interviewed a Penn State anesthesiologist to learn more about what it takes, what they do, some of their experiences, and their life as an anesthesiologist. 

Question: How long have you been an anesthesiologist?

Answer: I started in 1995 and then stopped in 2004. After a four-year break, I began again in 2008. 

Question: Why did you choose to be an anesthesiologist?

Answer: I loved the operating room, but female surgeons did not have the same amount of respect as male surgeons where I am from, so I turned to anesthesiology. I enjoy the internal science and physiology that is needed. 

Question: What training did you have to go through?

Answer: I had to first complete college with a GPA of at least 3.5 and courses in biology, chemistry, physics, and math. I then had to complete 4 years of medical school and 4 years of residency. While in residnecy, I had to complete a research project. Some anesthesiologists then take another 1-2 years to do a fellowship if they want to specialize in a particular field, but I did not do this.

Question: What are some pros and cons of beign an anesthesiologist? 

Answer: One pro for me is that anesthesiology is very challenging, so I am always kept very busy. Another is that you have to be able to convinve the patient very quickly that you can be trusted. A few cons is that my day starts very early, usually at 7:00; I have to be able to tackle any issues immediatly; and a lot of time my shifts affect my personal schedule. 

Question: What are some of the struggles that you face?

Answer: Like I said before, I have to be able to convince that patient very quickly that they can trust me, usually in 10 minutes. If there are any medical conditions or any other issues that may affect how the patient will react to the anesthesia, I have to be able to convince the surgeon to change the treatment. 

Question: How do you handle high-pressure situations? 

Answer: I stay as calm as possible, take deep breaths, and try to reassure myself that I know what I am doing.

Question: What does a typical day look like?

Answer: I usually get to the hospital by 7:00 in the morning, and have my first 2-3 patients by 7:30. I manage 2-3 operating rooms at a time. I will check on each patient at the beginning before the surgery starts and make sure that everything is going smoothly, and then I am usually able to hand the patients over to the anesthesiology residents. After that, I have a coffee break at around 8:30, and I will also grab coffee for the residents looking after the patients. By then, the first cases are usually ready to hed into surgery. I will check in on the patients and the residents, and then I will go see my second round of cases. 

Question: How long are your shifts?

Answer: I usually have around 10 hour shifts, but I am also on call for 13 hours. I might occasionally have to stay a little bit later if there is an issue, but this does not happen too often. 

Question: How predictable is your work schedule? 

Answer: In one week, I work around 40-50 hours a week, but my shifts vary. Today, I worked an 8 and a half hour shift, but tomorrow I have a 10 hour shift. Yesterday, I had a 10 hour shift, and the day before yesterday I had a 12 hour shift. Some anesthesiologists can work part time and choose which days they want to work.

Question: Have you had to make any career adjustments to improve your personal life? 

Answer: At one point, I did part time because I needed to take care of my children who were pretty young. I worked 3 days a week. 

Question: Do you find it difficult to make time for relaxation?

Answer: I don't. I find it easy to make time to relax. 

Question: Do you think that being an anesthesiologist allows for a good work-life balance? 

Answer: It depends on the speciality, but for me yes. Some anesthesiologists have regular office hours, and some start very early and end very late. 

Question: What are some of the challenges your family has faced because of your career?

Answer: I have missed out on many social events, field trips, and other activities because I had an emergency, or I had a shift. 

Question: Can you share a case that is memorable to you? 

Answer: A few years ago, I had a patient who was in a car accident and came in with a badly damaged liver. We had a hard time keeping her alive, and I think that we went through around 70-80 units of blood. After the initial surgery, we transferred her to ICU, and she went through a couple more surgeries. I met her again 4-5 years later, and she was very grateful when she learned that it was me who took care of her. 

Question: Would you still choose this profession if you were given another choice? 

Answer: Absolutely, I love my job.

Question: Any other advice for those who aspire to be an anesthesiologist?

Answer: It is a very high adrenaline job, so you have to be able to handle high pressure situations. When you go to medical school, you have to read a lot, so make sure that you enjoy books. It does get easier as it goes on, so make sure to perservere and be hard-working. 

Anesthesiologists may not always be seen during surgery, but they are crucial to keeping the patient safe, secure, comfortable, asleep, and pain-free. They are extremely hard-working and have overcome many challenges in their career.