Overview
Anesthesiology is the discipline within the practice of medicine that specializes in the management of patients rendered unconscious or insensible to pain and stress during surgical, obstetric and certain other medical procedures. This involves the perioperative evaluation and treatment of these patients in specialized care in a) pain management b) cardiopulmonary resuscitation c) respiratory care problems, and d) the management of critically ill and/or injured patients in special care units.
At a Glance
Training
- 1 transitional/preliminary year
- 3 years of residency
- Categorical and advanced positions available
These are minimum requirements. Some programs may have longer residencies.
Fellowships
| Subspecialty | Length |
|---|---|
| Ped Anesthesia | 1 year |
Lifestyle
| Median, Academic Salary | $353,000 |
| Median, Clinical Salary | $426,000 |
Source: Association of American Medical Colleges
Training Requirements
Training consists of a minimum of four years of graduate medical education. Three years of the training must be in clinical anesthesia. One year of the training must be the clinical base year, which should provide the resident with 12 months of broad clinical education in medical disciplines of which a maximum of only one month may involve the administration of anesthesia. The clinical base year is usually the first year of graduate medical education. There were 133 anesthesiology residency training programs accredited by the ACGME for 2014/15 that offered 1,600 categorical/advanced positions.
Matching Program Information and Match Statistics
Anesthesiology residency training programs participate in the NRMP. Match results and competitiveness information for anesthesiology residency training positions are summarized in the U.S. Match Statistics table below.
US Match Statistics |
2015 |
2014 |
2013 |
2012 |
| Competitiveness* | Low | Low | Low | Low |
| # Categorical/ Advanced positions available for U.S. Seniors | 1600 | 1564 | 1653 | 1476 |
| % U.S. Seniors matched* | 98% | 98% | 98% | 98% |
| # Unfilled Categorical/ Advanced Positions | 25 | 58 | 28 | 18 |
| # Unmatched U.S. seniors | 13 | 15 | 21 | 16 |
Source: NRMP Match results for U.S. seniors applying in a single specialty. *Competitiveness is based upon the percentage of U.S. Seniors who ranked each specialty as their only choice.
WUSM Match Statistics
For a list of WUSM match statistics for the past several years, please visit Search for WUSM Statistics. (password protected)
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Subspecialty/Fellowship Training
Subspecialty/fellowship training following the completion of an anesthesiology residency training program is available in anesthesiology critical care medicine, pain management, and pediatric anesthesiology. Detailed information about the scope of these subspecialty training programs, number of positions offered, and length of training is available at the FREIDA website.
Visit AMA website »
Visit FREIDA website »
Career Information
FREIDA physician workforce information for each specialty includes statistical information on the number of positions/programs for residency training, resident work hours, resident work environment and compensation, employment status upon completion of program and work environment for those entering practice in each specialty.
Washington University Resources
- Washington University Office of Graduate Medical Education (GME): Information about graduate medical education at Washington University
- Department of Anesthesiology
- Anesthesia Elective Recommendations
- Database of WUSM alumni searchable by Specialty, Year, and/or State (password protected)
Faculty Contacts
| Michael S. Avidan, MD | 747-4155 |
| Richard Benzinger, MD | 362-6978 |
| Thomas Cox, MD | 454-5695 |
| Alex Evers, MD | 454-8701 |
| Ellen Lockhart, MD | 454-8707 |