and providing adequate ventilation to the sleeping patient.

3- Establishing appropriate intravenous access and choosing the amount as well as type of intravenous solution to be administered throughout the surgical case.

4-Estimating blood loss and correcting surgical fluid losses via administration of blood and or blood products.

5- Monitoring depth of the anesthetic throughout the case to prevent patient awareness or arousal.

6- Continuous monitoring of patients Vital Signs and alarming the surgeon of problems as they arise.

7-Deciding where the patient should go after the surgery is over.

8- Ordering and administering proper and effective pain Control Pre, intra, post operatively.

8-Recogni

For those of you who don’t know me my name is Iman,

I am a senior Anesthesia resident and although I no longer work in a hospital setting, I found it within reason to write about a topic that always sparked my curiosity..

Frequently, when I speak to people who have had surgery I ask; Who was your Anesthetist? Their eyes get wide as they stumble and trip through their memory searching for that name they could never seem to remember. Then I ask who their surgeon was and the answer usually rapidly follows.

I got wondering, do people know who Anesthetists are or are we similar to the missing link or big foot? every now and then you hear about a sighting of them?

For the most part and after much of inquiry it seems people are under the impression that an Anesthetist is some sort of technician who didn’t really go through alot of medical training like a surgeon. The term NOT REAL DOCTORS slips out of my mouth here. As a result the Anesthetist is not too important of a person to remember.

To most but not all, an anesthetist is that person who sticks that painful needle in your arm then passes that awful smelling sleeping Gas through that funky machine as you count backwards from 10 then quietly leaves the operating room untill the surgeons call him/her back to wake the patient up.

Every now and then I would meet someone who actually fully comprehends what the Job actually entitles. None the less and I think this has been passed on from the Era of Ether and the image that always linked anesthesia with a mashine, I am not sure who to blame for this questionable image non medical professions and sadly some medical ones have developed regarding this unique specialty.

Having said all that I am sure with the internet and all the new technology more people are understanding the profession and how hard it is. For those of you who dont know much about anesthesia and would like to, read on.

When people finish/graduate medical school they do not immediately become full pledged Doctors. Everyone who wishes to continue a career in Medicine needs to chose a field of specialty. Some choose Internal Medicine, some Pediatrics, Some Family medicine and some choose Anesthesia.

Since I am in Canada I will refer to the Canadian system. Specialty training is anywhere from 2- 7 years depending on what field you decide to practice in. Anesthesia is 5 years. These are termed Residency Training where we are Doctors who are simply specializing through working in that specialty. At the end of the 5 years we sit the Board exam which is an intense and critical exam that certifies us as eligible to practice.

Now, I would like to actually simply explain what our Job is:

1- Evaluation of each patient from a medical point for suitability to undergo a surgical procedure including an airway exam and ordering tests and reviewing X rays.

2- Administering a safe and non triggering Anesthetic and providing adequate ventilation to the sleeping patient.

3- Establishing appropriate intravenous access and choosing the amount as well as type of intravenous solution to be administered throughout the surgical case.

4-Estimating blood loss and correcting surgical fluid losses via administration of blood and or blood products.

5- Monitoring depth of the anesthetic throughout the case to prevent patient awareness or arousal.

6- Continuous monitoring of patients Vital Signs and alarming the surgeon of problems as they arise.

7-Deciding where the patient should go after the surgery is over.

8- Ordering and administering proper and effective pain Control Pre, intra, post operatively.

8-Recogni

eems people are under the impression that an Anesthetist is some sort of technician who didn’t really go through alot of medical training like a surgeon. The term NOT REAL DOCTORS slips out of my mouth here. As a result the Anesthetist is not too important of a person to remember.

To most but not all, an anesthetist is that person who sticks that painful needle in your arm then passes that awful smelling sleeping Gas through that funky machine as you count backwards from 10 then quietly leaves the operating room untill the surgeons call him/her back to wake the patient up.

Every now and then I would meet someone who actually fully comprehends what the Job actually entitles. None the less and I think this has been passed on from the Era of Ether and the image that always linked anesthesia with a mashine, I am not sure who to blame for this questionable image non medical professions and sadly some medical ones have developed regarding this unique specialty.

Having said all that I am sure with the internet and all the new technology more people are understanding the profession and how hard it is. For those of you who dont know much about anesthesia and would like to, read on.

When people finish/graduate medical school they do not immediately become full pledged Doctors. Everyone who wishes to continue a career in Medicine needs to chose a field of specialty. Some choose Internal Medicine, some Pediatrics, Some Family medicine and some choose Anesthesia.

Since I am in Canada I will refer to the Canadian system. Specialty training is anywhere from 2- 7 years depending on what field you decide to practice in. Anesthesia is 5 years. These are termed Residency Training where we are Doctors who are simply specializing through working in that specialty. At the end of the 5 years we sit the Board exam which is an intense and critical exam that certifies us as eligible to practice.

Now, I would like to actually simply explain what our Job is:

1- Evaluation of each patient from a medical point for suitability to undergo a surgical procedure including an airway exam and ordering tests and reviewing X rays.

2- Administering a safe and non triggering Anesthetic and providing adequate ventilation to the sleeping patient.

3- Establishing appropriate intravenous access and choosing the amount as well as type of intravenous solution to be administered throughout the surgical case.

4-Estimating blood loss and correcting surgical fluid losses via administration of blood and or blood products.

5- Monitoring depth of the anesthetic throughout the case to prevent patient awareness or arousal.

6- Continuous monitoring of patients Vital Signs and alarming the surgeon of problems as they arise.

7-Deciding where the patient should go after the surgery is over.

8- Ordering and administering proper and effective pain Control Pre, intra, post operatively.

8-Recogni

from the Era of Ether and the image that always linked anesthesia with a mashine, I am not sure who to blame for this questionable image non medical professions and sadly some medical ones have developed regarding this unique specialty.

Having said all that I am sure with the internet and all the new technology more people are understanding the profession and how hard it is. For those of you who dont know much about anesthesia and would like to, read on.

When people finish/graduate medical school they do not immediately become full pledged Doctors. Everyone who wishes to continue a career in Medicine needs to chose a field of specialty. Some choose Internal Medicine, some Pediatrics, Some Family medicine and some choose Anesthesia.

Since I am in Canada I will refer to the Canadian system. Specialty training is anywhere from 2- 7 years depending on what field you decide to practice in. Anesthesia is 5 years. These are termed Residency Training where we are Doctors who are simply specializing through working in that specialty. At the end of the 5 years we sit the Board exam which is an intense and critical exam that certifies us as eligible to practice.

Now, I would like to actually simply explain what our Job is:

1- Evaluation of each patient from a medical point for suitability to undergo a surgical procedure including an airway exam and ordering tests and reviewing X rays.

2- Administering a safe and non triggering Anesthetic and providing adequate ventilation to the sleeping patient.

3- Establishing appropriate intravenous access and choosing the amount as well as type of intravenous solution to be administered throughout the surgical case.

4-Estimating blood loss and correcting surgical fluid losses via administration of blood and or blood products.

5- Monitoring depth of the anesthetic throughout the case to prevent patient awareness or arousal.

6- Continuous monitoring of patients Vital Signs and alarming the surgeon of problems as they arise.

7-Deciding where the patient should go after the surgery is over.

8- Ordering and administering proper and effective pain Control Pre, intra, post operatively.

8-Recogni

nesthesia.

Since I am in Canada I will refer to the Canadian system. Specialty training is anywhere from 2- 7 years depending on what field you decide to practice in. Anesthesia is 5 years. These are termed Residency Training where we are Doctors who are simply specializing through working in that specialty. At the end of the 5 years we sit the Board exam which is an intense and critical exam that certifies us as eligible to practice.

Now, I would like to actually simply explain what our Job is:

1- Evaluation of each patient from a medical point for suitability to undergo a surgical procedure including an airway exam and ordering tests and reviewing X rays.

2- Administering a safe and non triggering Anesthetic and providing adequate ventilation to the sleeping patient.

3- Establishing appropriate intravenous access and choosing the amount as well as type of intravenous solution to be administered throughout the surgical case.

4-Estimating blood loss and correcting surgical fluid losses via administration of blood and or blood products.

5- Monitoring depth of the anesthetic throughout the case to prevent patient awareness or arousal.

6- Continuous monitoring of patients Vital Signs and alarming the surgeon of problems as they arise.

7-Deciding where the patient should go after the surgery is over.

8- Ordering and administering proper and effective pain Control Pre, intra, post operatively.

8-Recogni

and providing adequate ventilation to the sleeping patient.

3- Establishing appropriate intravenous access and choosing the amount as well as type of intravenous solution to be administered throughout the surgical case.

4-Estimating blood loss and correcting surgical fluid losses via administration of blood and or blood products.

5- Monitoring depth of the anesthetic throughout the case to prevent patient awareness or arousal.

6- Continuous monitoring of patients Vital Signs and alarming the surgeon of problems as they arise.

7-Deciding where the patient should go after the surgery is over.

8- Ordering and administering proper and effective pain Control Pre, intra, post operatively.

8-Recognizing, preventing and dealing with any peri- operative complications.

9-Safe emergence of the patient from the Anesthetic.

10-preventing and dealing with post operative nausea and vomiting.

In many countries the intensive care unit is solely run by the Anesthesia department. In Canada a resident has to complete 6 full months of adult, pediatric and neonatal ICU before they can sit their exams. The Anesthesia resident is an essential element of the Trauma team as they are responsible to provide and secure the patients airway on arrival. Securing an airway helps make sure the patient is receiving adequate ventilation to their lungs in order for them to maintain life.

So there it is .... A simple yet complex talk about the person behind the mask!