Patient Information
Anesthesiologists
Most people think of their anesthesiologist only as the "physician behind the mask" who helps them sleep through surgery, and who wakes them up when it’s over.
What few people realize is that today's anesthesiologists serve a central role in the operating room: they make informed medical judgments to protect and regulate your critical life functions that are affected by the surgery being performed. Furthermore, these medical specialists are the physicians who immediately diagnose and treat any medical problems that may arise during surgery or the recovery period.
Let's lift the physician's mask and take a further look at the responsibilities and education of an anesthesiologist.
How An Anesthesiologist Is Qualified To Serve You
Anesthesiologists are physicians of medicine who, after graduating from college with a strong background in physics, chemistry, biology and mathematics, obtain a medical doctorate degree after completing four years of medical school. Following medical school, they learn the medical specialty of anesthesiology during an additional four years of post medical school training: one year of internship and three years in an anesthesiology residency program.
During the first year, anesthesiologists must complete training in diagnosis and treatment in other areas of medicine such as internal medicine, neurology, obstetrics, pediatrics or surgery, or complete a rotating internship where they spend an equal amount of time training in each of the other areas of medicine. Today's anesthesiologists then spend three intensive years of training in anesthesiology learning the medical and technical aspects of the specialty. In addition, they may further specialize in a subspecialty, such as neurosurgical anesthesiology, by completing one to two more years in a subspecialty-training program.
Today's anesthesiologists are innovators in their field, continuing a long tradition of advancing the practice of modern medicine. Even after residency training is completed, they continue studying new medical advances and anesthetic techniques, so that every patient experience can be safer than the next. They specialize in cardiology, critical care medicine, internal medicine, pharmacology and surgery to be able to fulfill their role in modern medicine. Upon completion of specialty training, the anesthesiologist becomes eligible for board certification by the American Board of Anesthesiology. The physicians of Valley Anesthesiology and Pain Consultants are board certified or in the board certification process.
Reference: Lifeline to Modern Medicine
Patient Satisfaction Survey
The physicians of Valley Anesthesiology and Pain Consultants are privileged to assist in your care. Our anesthesiologists and billing personnel are continually seeking to improve the anesthesia experience. If you have received anesthesia care from Valley, please take a moment to complete a brief patient satisfaction survey.
