Anesthesiology: Scope and Career Opportunities

Anesthesiology is the field of medical sciences that deals with relieving the patients from the pain. Various career opportunities and a vast scope is available in this area for students of biology

By George

Updated: Monday, July 13, 2026, 17:21 [IST]

The word hospital may ring a hundred bells in your head. Doctors, injections, medicines and many other words will come rushing in. Nevertheless, we tend to forget many fields of medical sciences that play major roles in keeping the patient's health in check. One such job is that of an anesthesiologist or anaesthetist.

What is Anesthesiology?

Anesthesiology is the field of medical sciences that deals with relieving the patients from the pain. These are people who are ready to go under surgery, and anesthesiologists do this by providing them medicines or drugs, termed as anesthetics. The duties of an anesthesiologist doesn't end here.

Anesthesiology: Scope and Career Opportunities

They take care of the patients who are in chronic pain, and in various cases, they are in charge to take care of patients with respiratory or cardiac problems. They decide on the dosage of drugs that is to be given to the patients. Their main duty is to be with the patient, before during and after the surgery, and check up on the anesthesia that is given to the patient.

Who can take up this course?

Falling under the area of medical sciences, anesthesiology requires a person to take up Biology as their mainstream of choice in higher secondary education.

Focus on Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics is also a must. After completing the higher secondary education, the aspirant must complete their MBBS from a university that is acknowledged by Medical Council of India.

MBBS is a four-year course which is taken up by all the aspirants of medicine and surgery. The graduation must follow with one house surgency.

After the house surgency period gets over the MBBS graduate can apply for post-graduation course of M.D. in Anesthesiology, specializing as an Anesthesiologist.

What does an Anesthesiologist do?

An anesthesiologist plans and decides the main framework of procedures concerning the anesthesia that will be used during the surgery. These plans are discussed with the surgeons. After the anesthesiologists and the surgeons agree, they move forward with the procedure.

They are the prime factors when it comes to watching the body vitals of the patient after they are operated on.
These usually include heartbeat rate, breathing rate, temperature, lungs and kidney functions. In addition to the surgery, the anesthesiologist also takes care of the patients who require artificial ventilation and care for their post-operative state.
Being an anesthesiologist would mean to be present on-call, whenever there is a surgery is scheduled. The working hours for an anesthesiologist are long and tiring.
Just like everyone who are involved in the surgery, they are required to stand for long hours, till the surgery ends.
The chances of an emergency while surgery is under procedure are always very high, thus an anesthesiologist will have to be present from the start till the end.

Career prospects in Anesthesiology

An anesthesiologist's job is not limited to a single person.

There is the role of Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists, who assist the supervising anesthesiologist.
Anesthesia Technician, who is in-charge of monitoring the equipment that is used for anesthesia during the surgery.
Anesthesiologists can take up various fellowships and specializations to build up their profile, which will increase their demand in the market.

Also Read: Top 10 schools for medicine in UK

Salary of an Anesthesiologist

According to Payscale.com as of March 24, 2017, the average salary of an anesthesiologist is Rs1,184,864 per annum. The more the experience and seniority, the more the pay scale increases.