Anaesthetist
What is the work like?
Anaesthetists are highly trained specialists whose practice includes pain management and intensive care medicine. They often deal with emergency situations by providing advanced life support, the ability to breathe and resuscitation to the heart and lungs.
As an anaesthetist, your work could include:
- preparing patients for surgery
- relieving pain in child-birth
- easing pain after an operation
- managing acute and chronic pain
- helping psychiatric patients receiving electric shock therapy
- providing sedation and anaesthesia to patients having radiology and radio-therapy.
You would use a range of techniques including local anaesthetics, such as epidurals and other nerve blocks. During an operation, you would observe your patient, monitor their progress and respond to any changes. You would work closely with other healthcare professionals to deliver the most appropriate and complete treatment plan for your patients.
You could work in areas ranging from high dependency units to cardiac arrest teams. As a senior doctor, you could lead a team and train junior doctors, undergraduate medical students, nurses and paramedics.
What qualifications and experience will employers look for?
Anaesthetists are qualified medical doctors who have chosen to specialise in anaesthesia, intensive care medicine and pain management.
To become a doctor specialising in anaesthetics you need to complete:
- a degree in medicine, recognised by the General Medical Council (GMC)
- a two-year foundation programme of general training (see Training and Development section for details)
- specialist training in anaesthesia, intensive care medicine and pain management (see section below).
To get onto a five-year degree in medicine you will usually need at least five GCSEs (A-C) including English, maths and science, plus three A levels at grades AAB in subjects such as chemistry, biology and either physics or maths. The GMC hold details of recognised courses.
If you do not have qualifications in science, you may be able to do a six-year degree course in medicine that includes a one-year pre-medical or foundation course (check with universities for details).
If you already have an honours degree in a science subject (minimum 2:1) you may be able to join a four-year graduate entry programme to medicine. Some universities will also accept non-science graduates. The British Medical Association (BMA) website has details of course providers.
When you apply for a degree in medicine, you may be asked to take the UK Clinical Aptitude Test (UKCAT). Universities use this test to help them select students with the personal qualities and mental abilities needed for a career in medicine. Your university will tell you if you need to take the test.
If you trained as a doctor overseas, contact the GMC for details about registering and practising in the UK.
You can find out more about working as a health professional through paid or voluntary experience, for example as a healthcare assistant in a hospital (contact the voluntary services coordinator or manager at your local NHS Trust). And for further advice, why not read our article on Volunteering in the health sector?
What further training and development can I do?
When you have achieved your degree in medicine, you will need to complete two further stages of training to become a senior or consultant anaesthetist:
- a two-year foundation programme – during this stage you will be known as a Foundation House Officer. You will have the chance to work in a variety of settings, from acute care to mental health. At the end of year one (known as F1) you can achieve full registration with the GMC. By the end of year two (F2) you will make your career choice, for example to specialise in anaesthetics. You apply for this programme through The Foundation Programme website.
- a specialist training programme in anaesthesia – this can take approximately seven years. During the programme you will learn and practice in increasingly advanced areas such as paediatric anaesthesia, neuroanaesthesia and cardiac/thoracic. There are basic, intermediate, higher and advanced levels of training. Applications for this stage will be arranged locally by postgraduate deaneries; for details check the Postgraduate Medical Education Board website.
As a trainee anaesthetist you will be assessed in the workplace, and you will only progress to the next stage when you have met the required standard. During training you will sit formal examinations. Success in these allows you to become a Fellow of the Royal College of Anaesthetists (FRCA).
When you have successfully completed the specialist training programme, you will be awarded the Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT). This means you will be eligible to join the GMC Specialist Register, and apply for consultant anaesthetist posts in the NHS.
This new way of training is part of the NHS Modernising Medical Careers review.
As a consultant you are expected to continue learning throughout your career. The Royal College of Anaesthetists website has details on all aspects of training and continuing medical education for practising anaesthetists.
Where can I go for more information?
London
WC1H 9JP
Tel: 020 7387 4499
350 Euston Road
London
NW1 3JN
Tel: 0845 357 3456
35 Red Lion Square
London
WC1R 4SG
Tel: 020 7092 1500
If you would like to discuss your career options with a learning adviser, call 0800 100 900 or use our online enquiry form
Alternatively, you can visit our website at: www.direct.gov.uk/careersadvice
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What salary and other benefits can I expect?
- Foundation house officers can earn between £21,000 and £26,000 a year.
- Doctors in specialist training can earn up to £44,000.
- Consultants can earn between £70,000 and £160,000 a year.
Doctors in training will also receive extra payments depending on the hours worked, workload and the amount of time spent working unsocial hours. Consultants often supplement their income with working in the private sector where they may negotiate higher fees.
Figures are intended as a guideline only.
What are the hours and working conditions?
You will work relatively long hours, especially as a trainee (junior doctor). This will include evening, weekend and night shifts and an out of hour’s rota system. You could work up to 56 hours a week, however, by 2009 this will be reduced to a maximum limit of 48 hours a week.
Generally, working conditions in hospitals are clean, modern and comfortable. You could spend time in a variety of settings, such as consulting rooms, wards, operating theatres and special units like accident and emergency.
Working with very ill patients will be both demanding (mentally, physically and emotionally) and rewarding.
What skills and knowledge will I need?
- compassion, integrity and a strong sense of responsibility
- a keen interest and ability in science and medicine
- a genuine interest in the well-being of patients
- excellent communication skills, with the ability to explain patient choices
- the ability to put people at ease and inspire trust and confidence
- the ability to work independently and as part of a team
- the potential to lead, train and supervise a team or unit
- strong analytical skills
- good practical skills for examining patients and performing procedures
- the ability to work under pressure and make quick, clear decisions.
What opportunities are there?
Competition for promotion through the various training grades can be strong as places on specialist programmes are limited in number. When you qualify as an anaesthetist, you may also need to relocate to take up a more senior position.
As a consultant anaesthetist within the NHS, you will often find opportunities to work in the private sector. With experience, you may go onto lead a team or manage a unit. You may also progress to teaching and training students, trainee anaesthetists and other healthcare professionals.
You may find the following useful for job vacancies and general reading (links open in new window):
NHS Jobs
The Lancet
The British Medical Journal
Hospital Doctor (a medical newspaper)
We do not accept responsibility for the content of external sites.
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