Choosing Between Anesthesiology and General Surgery: My Career Dilemma

Deciding on a certain career has been difficult and very challenging. Going through elementary school and middle school and deciding what career path way I should take, the first two that caught my attention were anesthesiologist and general surgeon. As a child, I never thought that I would want to go to these fields. As a student, I sometimes have my ups and downs in school but that doesn't stop me from doing what I love. In my opinion school is like the next level of a game and I must do my best to beat that level. Sometimes it's tough but I'll manage somehow. Preparing to become an anesthesiologist begins in high school.

Since university or college focuses on classes in premed, some recommends getting a head start taking science classes in high school. Biology and chemistry classes will provide you with the knowledge required to be successful. I still don't know which of the two careers I should decide on. Luckily, the two careers matched closely to my personality type. What do surgeons do? General Surgeons are doctors who are specialized in performing surgery on abdominal areas such as the esophagi, stomach, small bowel, colon, liver, pancreas, gallbladder and bile ducts, but sometime often the thyroid gland.

They also focus on disease involving the breast, skin, or any soft tissue. Depending on the type of surgeon, they perform different surgeries. For example a cardiovascular surgeon might do open heart surgery, while a breast surgeon might do breast surgery to save someone from having breast cancer. Surgeons are part of a team. They rely on an anesthesiologist to keep the patient asleep and comfortable, nurses and assistants are responsible for passing the surgeon any tools that are needed to do the surgery, and keeping track of the patient's vital signs and many other things.

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Sometimes in difficult procedures surgeons often work together as a am to do more work in less time, and in teaching hospitals interns and residents are with more experienced surgeons to observe and learn. Many surgeons work for very long hours, some are scheduled to work for certain amount of hours depending on the hospital. Even doctors who work in private practice spends long hours in the operating room, and are expected to work with other health care professionals to make sure that everything is going smoothly.

A lot of surgeons, most of the time are responsible for managing a lot of paperwork such as possessing a patient's files to reviewing records and so much more. There are many types of surgeon and focusing in different areas of the body. Unlike other doctors, surgeons must first complete four years of study at any college, depending which one has the specific field. Surgeons must complete an additional four year and get their MD or Doctor of Medicine degree from an approved medical school. Most applicants take a large amount of courses in subjects like chemistry, and physics.

Also, they must pass the Medical College Admission Test (MICA). Once they have gotten their MD, graduates have to go through a minimum of five years of surgery residency. During this course, dents are trained in general surgical procedures. Why is an anesthesiologist important during any surgery? Anesthesiologists are medical doctors specializing in preoperative care. They help to ensure the patients are safe while going through surgery and are involve in putting the patient to sleep so they won't feel pain or sensation.

Without anesthesiologists, surgery would not be possible in a lot of operations. They are responsible for the patient before, during and after the surgery. In terms of education, one must complete at least 3 years of a bachelor's degree, many applicants have 4 years which also include ultimate science courses. Anesthesiologist must have a high score on the Medical College Admission Test (MICA), also a letter of recommendation from their teachers and advisors. Many medical schools also consider things like leadership qualities, and extracurricular activities when making admissions decisions.

After graduation, anesthesiologists enter into a residency program. Usually the first year is spent in an internship, practicing general medicine and learning from other anesthesiologist. During the next couple years, they learn the techniques and skills of anesthesiology with the help and supervision of another. At the end of the residency, they will need to take the United States Medical Licensing Examination to obtain licenser to practice medicine in the United States, and then they can work as an anesthesiologist.

What exactly does an anesthesiologist do? Their Job is to keep you safe and comfortable during surgery and recovery. They monitor your heart rhythm, blood pressure and the amount of oxygen in your blood. Also, they monitor your temperature and your level of consciousness. When patients are sleeping, they monitor the patient's breath by measuring the volume of breath exhaled and the mount of carbon dioxide in their breathing. Sometimes, they may monitor how much blood the patient is pumping and the pressure in the lung.

The anesthesiologist must keep the patient asleep during a surgery by giving them anesthetic drugs and some drugs are giving to them at all times. Some drugs are mixed in with others and sometimes with the oxygen the patient is breathing. If the patient comes across problem during surgery such as low blood pressure, asthma, blood loss, heart arrhythmia and many others, the anesthesiologist must find a way to correct the problem. The care nurse and the anesthesiologist work together to cake sure the patient is safe and comfortable. How much does an anesthesiologist and surgeon make?

The annual salary for an Anesthesiologist is about $166,400 while the median is about $355,100 in the United States. The anesthesiologist is one of the highest paying Jobs in the medical field. According to US Bureau of Labor statistics, the top paid anesthesiologist employed in public sectors is about $197,000 per year while self employed received about $316,500 yearly. They make more than $80. 00 per for the median. The lowest 10 percent receive up to $55. 52 per hour. Depending on the state or location that you vive in, some places have a higher income than others.

On the other hand, surgeons make a little bit more. The median salary for a typical surgeon in the United States is about $343,000. Depends on the particular procedure, they range at around $250 per hour. Different surgeon makes more money than others, for example a pediatric surgeon make about $166,000 a year, while a barbaric surgeon make $433,000 a year. The salary is different in most cases. Choosing a career can be difficult but as time goes by you will soon know what interests you. As we Journey through life, we will have to decide on what we want to o or become.

Everything and anything is possible if you take your time and give it your best. You really won't know the possibility that you have to get into Med School until you have taken the science courses that college offer. Medical Schools don't really care what kind of grades or experience you have in High School. That doesn't mean you should stop and give up, start by participating in some sort of extracurricular activity, and possibly doing some volunteer work. Volunteering at a hospital is going to look better and increase your chances of getting into that particular school.

An anesthesiologist and a surgeon are two different things yet they depend on one another for a surgery to be possible. Sometimes it is difficult and hard to decide what you want to do in life. As a freshman, I still haven't decide what to do with my life but for now I will continue with school and hopefully one day I will know what I should do. With the overwhelming responsibilities of anesthesiologists and surgeons, some people decide to become something else that they love. Doesn't matter what you become as long as you love what you do then it shouldn't matter to how much you make a year.

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