Anesthesiologist Assisting
Overview
Programs in anesthesiologist assisting prepare people to help anesthesiologists develop care plans and provide anesthesia care before, during, and after surgical procedures.Anesthesiologist assisting programs include topics such as:
- Patient data collection
- Catheter insertion
- Airway management and drug administration
- Post operative procedures
- Pain clinics
- Patient education
Practicums
Practicums (or clinical rotations) allow students to develop skills at clinics or hospitals. All anesthesiologist assisting programs include clinical rotations.
Schools
Most colleges and universities offer bachelor's degree programs in pre-medicine. This is good preparation for getting accepted to an anesthesiologist assisting program. A bachelor's degree usually takes four years of full-time study.
Several universities offer graduate degrees in anesthesiologist assisting. A master's degree typically requires two years of study beyond a bachelor's degree.
See schools that offer this program.
Graduate Admissions
Admission to graduate programs is competitive. You need a bachelor's degree and good grades and good scores on the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT).
Your bachelor's degree should be in one of the following fields:
- Pre-medicine
- Chemistry
- Anatomy and Physiology
Although you can major in any of those subjects, you typically need to take the following college classes:
- Calculus (one year)
- English (one year)
- General Biology with lab (one year)
- General Chemistry with lab (one year)
- General Physics with lab (one year)
- Organic Chemistry with lab (one year)
Typical Course Work
Graduate Program Courses
Course work in graduate programs varies. However, the outline of a typical graduate curriculum looks like the following:
- Required core courses
- Ambulatory surgery
- Cardiothoracic surgery
- General surgery
- Burns and trauma
- Obstetrics
- Pediatrics
You participate in clinical rotations the last year of your program. These are hands-on opportunities to learn how to apply the information you already learned to real-life specialized clinical settings. An experienced doctor supervises you.
Things to Know
Several two-year and community colleges offer associate degree programs in anesthesia technology. You must have a master's degree to become certified to practice as an anesthesiologist assistant.
To become certified, you must pass an exam.
Schools
King-Snohomish Area
Renton Technical College
- Anesthesia Technologist