Studying Anesthesiology in the USA will equip you with the skills and expertise to ensure the safety and well-being of patients before, during, and after surgery. Anesthesiologists are physicians who specialize in sensation and pain management. The United States is one of the countries that offer the best education in medicine as well as various specializations including anesthesiology. As a result, it is one of the go-to destinations for aspiring anesthesiologists. However, because of the high competition in studying anesthesiology in the USA, you need to have the right qualifications and grades to be able to study medicine in the USA and specialize in anesthesiology.
This piece will guide you through the steps and requirements to take in studying anesthesiology in the USA.
Requirements to Study Anesthesiology in the USA
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Obtain a Bachelor’s Degree
Universities in the USA do not accept applicants without a bachelor’s degree into medical school. It is compulsory that you pursue a four-year undergraduate degree before applying to medical school. This is usually known as pre-medical school. Furthermore, the bachelor’s degree should be a science-related discipline. It should be either a health science or a life science degree. Additionally, your bachelor’s degree should include courses in areas such as Biochemistry, Biology, Organic Chemistry, Physics, and Laboratory practicals.
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Write MCAT
The Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) is compulsory for all applicants. You can take these tests multiple times in a year. However, it is advised that you take the test during the spring rather than the summer. This is to allow you to retake the test before the admissions deadline if you did not perform well. Furthermore, this test is valid for only three years. If you are not able to gain admission within three years, you need to take another test.
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Apply through AMCAS
All applicants must complete their application through the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS). The application site opens in May and ends in October. Therefore, you need to submit your applications early. After that, AMCAS will forward your application to the medical school of your choice.
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Secondary Applications
After AMCAS forwards your application to the medical school, you will receive an invitation through email to make a secondary application. Secondly, the University will notify you to make a secondary application three weeks after they have received your application from AMCAS. However, if your application is not considered, you will receive a notification email and you will not be able to submit the secondary application. Therefore, you should add the university’s domain to your email list and monitor your emails regularly.
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Letters of Recommendation
You need to submit between three to five recommendation letters. You will submit these letters using the AMCAS. These recommendation letters will talk about your academic status as well as your potential. However, these letters will not be considered till you get to the secondary application.
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Interview Stage
The next phase in the application process is the interview stage. This interview will be held virtually or physically depending on your location.
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Interview Decision
After the interview, you will get the outcome regarding your application. You can get emails such as acceptance, alternate list, or rejection.
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Apply for a Residency Program
During the last year of medical school, you will complete an audition rotation in an anesthesiology residency program. After that, you will participate in an interview which will enable you to undergo a match process to figure out where they will complete residency. Generally, you must complete a residency program to enable you to be qualified for an anesthesiology fellowship.
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Complete a Fellowship Program
After your residency, you need to complete a fellowship program in anesthesiology. This program will enable you to gain specialized training in specific areas like pain management, pediatric anesthesia, or obstetric anesthesia.
How to Apply
Firstly, you must submit your applications to apply for medical school first through the AMCAS. Additionally, you can continue your secondary application through the university’s portal. Consequently, after you complete medical school, you can apply for the residency and fellowship program based on your school’s instruction.
Duration
Studying anesthesiology in the USA lasts for about twelve(12) – fourteen(14) years. This most likely will include 4 years of pre-medical study, 4 years of medical school, a 3-year internal medicine residency, and a 3-4 year anesthesiology fellowship.
Tuition Fee
The tuition fee for studying anesthesiology in the USA ranges from $150,000 to $250,000. Additionally, students can apply for financial aid. This will help to reduce the high cost of fees for students. Some Universities offer financial aid to students. You can verify this by checking the school’s website.
Medical Schools in the USA to study anesthesiology
- Harvard University, Massachusetts
- Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Minnesota
- Johns Hopkins University, Maryland
- University of California – San Francisco, California
- University of Michigan – Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Stanford University, California
- University of Washington – Seattle, Washington
- University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania
- Baylor College of Medicine, Texas
- Columbia University, New York State
- University of California – Los Angeles, California
- University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- University of California-San Diego, California
- Emory University, Georgia
- Cornell University, New York State
- Boston University, Massachusetts
- University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Texas
- University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, Minnesota
- Yale University, Connecticut
- Northwestern University, Illinois
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York State
- Washington University in St Louis, Missouri
- University of Alabama at Birmingham, Alabama
- University of Utah, Utah
- Duke University, North Carolina
- University of Southern California, California
- Case Western Reserve University, Ohio
- Indiana University – Purdue University – Indianapolis, Indiana
- University of Miami, Florida
- University of Florida, Florida
- Wake Forest University, North Carolina
- University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus, Colorado
- University of Chicago, Illinois
- University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland
- New York University, New York State
- University of Wisconsin – Madison, Wisconsin
- Medical University of South Carolina, South Carolina
- University of Iowa, Iowa State
- Ohio State University, Ohio
- University of Virginia, Virginia
Studying anesthesiology in the USA will require you to prepare for years of hard work and dedication to become a certified professional in this field. Firstly, you need to have the required qualifications and meet the eligibility criteria for applying to a medical school in the USA. Additionally, you should make sure that you make your applications early before the deadline as the admission processes are highly competitive. You can reach out to us for further inquiries and assistance.
Good luck!
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