While medical schools don’t require a pre-med major to apply, most medical schools do require students to earn a bachelor’s degree or have three years of college experience, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Medical students must have undergraduate course work in subjects such as physics, chemistry, biochemistry and calculus. This prepares future anesthesiologists for courses they will take in the first two years of medical school.
Pursuing pre-med helps students prepare for the MCAT, another requirement for medical school. A multiple-choice exam, the MCAT tests analytical skills and scientific knowledge. The knowledge covered in this exam should be addressed in undergraduate courses. The MCAT covers physics, biology, organic chemistry, writing and verbal reasoning skills. Two essays are required to test writing skills. The verbal reasoning component tests the ability to understand and use information from reading materials.
After medical school, new physicians choose which field they want to enter. Anesthesiologists must intern for a year and then work as a resident. Each residency programs has different prerequisites. Students who want to increase their chances of being selected for an anesthesiology residency should take anesthesiology rotations in medical school. Unfortunately, many medical schools don’t have this option as a required or elective course, according to the American Medical Association. Medical students on the anesthesiology route benefit also from having an anesthesiologist as mentor or adviser.
College graduates with a pre-med major can work as an anesthesiology assistant. After college, they must enter a graduate school-level anesthesiologist assistant (AA) program, which lasts at least 24 months. Applying students must take either the MCAT or GRE (Graduate Record Examination) before admission. Like the MCAT, the GRE tests for writing and verbal reasoning skills. Unlike the MCAT, the GRE doesn’t test for scientific knowledge. During this AA program, future anesthesiologists take classes in clinical anesthesia and coursework featuring administered anesthesia, according to The American Academy of Anesthesiologist Assistants. After completion, AAs works under the direction of anesthesiologists. Their job description includes conducting lab work, performing regional anesthesia and maintaining proper anesthesia levels, among other responsibilities.