Anesthesiologist Assistant
Alt Names: Certified Anesthesiologist Assistant, A.A
Career Description
Anesthesiologist Assistants work under the direct supervision of Anesthesiologists to help with administering anesthesia as well as discover and record the medical history of patients.
Job Responsibilities
Administer anesthesia (local, intravenous, or spinal anesthetic) under direct order and supervision of Anesthesiologist
Monitor patients condition before, during, and after being given anesthesia
Provide clinical instruction, supervision or training to staff in areas such as anesthesia practices
Collect and record patients medical history
Pre-Testing and calibrating anesthesia delivery systems and monitors
Recording progress, preparing case summaries, take down and execute physician orders
Education & Training
In order to enter AA education programs, students must complete the following:
Bachelor Degree from accredited institution (with completion of pre-med sciences)
Completion of Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) or the Graduate Records Admission Test (GRA)
Clinical experience
Important Information
After this completion, students may now enter into the Anesthesiologist Assistant (AA) program which ranges from 24 to 48 months. Graduates of AA educational programs earn a masters-level degree
License and/or Certification
Those who choose to become Anesthesiologist Assistants (AA’s) can choose between:
Being licensed as an AA
Practice under the license of an Anesthesiologist under the principle of delegation
Salary
Median salary $100,326* [source: Payscale.Com]
Valuable Skills & Qualities
This career is good for people who are:
- Organized
- Critical Thinkers
- Empathetic
- Self-motivated
- Patient
- Flexible (long work hours)
Work Environment/ Setting
Hospitals, Clinics, and other Medical facilities