What Test Needs to Be Taken to Become an Anesthesiologist?
- The American Board of Anesthesiology has established eligibility requirements that physicians must meet to qualify for the certification examination. Anesthesiologists must show proof that they graduated from a U.S. or Canadian medical school accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education. As of 2010, 150 colleges carried this accreditation. In addition, physicians must hold a valid license to practice medicine. This involves passing a test called the United States Medical Licensing Examination. Finally, anesthesiologists must complete a four-year residency program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. About 130 programs in the United States hold this credentialing as of 2010.
- The American Board of Anesthesiology Examination has two parts. The board offers the examination on two dates, typically in August. Physicians take the examination on computers at Pearson Vue Testing Centers, which has locations across the United States. The examination consists of 250 multiple-choice questions, including 25 unscored questions. Part one is given in two sections, each of which lasts two hours and 20 minutes. Topics covered include anatomy, pharmacology, anesthesia procedures, clinical sciences and the use of anesthesia within specialties such as obstetrics and pediatrics.
- Anesthesiologists who pass part one of the certification examination qualify to take part two. To take the exam, doctors must travel to Raleigh, North Carolina, where the board is based. The examination is given orally. Physicians receive two different clinical scenarios. After receiving each, doctors appear before two interviewers who ask questions about how they would treat the patient described in each scenario. The interview lasts for 35 minutes.
- After receiving the initial certification, some anesthesiologists choose to pursue subspecialty certification. Subspecialty areas include pain medicine; hospice and palliative care, the treatment of patients who are in the final stages of a terminal illness; and critical care medicine, the treatment of patients in intensive care units. Each subspecialty certification involves the completion of an additional examination.