If you want to become an anesthesiologist, you'll first have to get a bachelor's degree and then get into medical school. Being admitted to medical school typically requires a strong background in math and science. Many colleges offer a "pre-med" major designed to prepare students for entrance into medical school, while students at other colleges take "pre-med" courses and major in other fields. The admissions process for medical school can be very competitive. You will be required to take the standardized MCAT test in addition to demonstrating strong academic credentials and a passion for medicine.

After four years of graduate study in medical school, you'll obtain a degree in medicine (M.D.) or osteopathy (D.O.). Medical school is designed to give you a wide exposure to the different areas of medicine so that you can be sure that a specialty like anesthesiology is the right one for you. If it is, you'll participate in "the Match," the National Residency Matching Program. This program matches medical school graduates looking for specialized residencies with residency programs looking for those kinds of students.

Anesthesiology is a popular specialty, so getting matched with the top programs will require an excellent academic profile. Luckily, there are a good number of anesthesiology residency programs in the US, and anesthesiology is a growing field, which means that even students who don't get into the top programs have a good chance of finding an appropriate anesthesiology residency program. The anesthesiology residency is four years of working at a healthcare facility or practice under the guidance of established practitioners. After the residency, some graduates choose to study for an additional one-year fellowship, during which they further specialize in a particular area of anesthesiology, such as critical care, pain medicine, or research.

The following schools offer anesthesiologist programs and can provide you with more information on how to become an anesthesiologist. Find the anesthesiology school most convenient for you and click "Request more information" to learn more.