It?s an emergency? a patient is wheeled into the operation theatre, an intravenous injection is given to make him unconscious, followed by a mixture of anaesthetic gases to keep the patient unconscious. A muscle relaxant is given to relax the muscles of the patient to help the surgeon. Oxygen is administered constantly. A mechanical breathing machine, called a ventilator, is attached. All the patient?s bodily functions are carefully controlled and monitored. Fifty minutes later, the surgery is complete. The patient is now conscious and able to breathe without help, the ventilator is stopped and the breathing tube removed.

The above scenario depicts the job of an anaesthetist or an anaesthesiologist. An anaesthesiologist is thus a specialist who administers anaesthetics to a patient before he undergoes surgery.

A vital member of the surgical team, the anaesthetist is responsible for keeping you safe and comfortable during and after your operation. An anaesthetist is a highly-trained medical doctor who, after a six-year medical training and two years of general hospital work, spends a further five years undergoing special training and examinations before being registered to practice as a specialist in anaesthesia. The anaesthetist?s function is to make you insensitive to pain during surgery, to supervise your recovery from anaesthesia, and to ensure you are comfortable afterwards. The anaesthetist will stay with you at all times and will carefully monitor the way your body responds to the stress it will encounter during surgery.

What do I have to do?

Anaesthetists become familiar with all the different medical conditions and their implications for patients undergoing a wide variety of surgical procedures. They gain experience in the administration of anaesthesia for all surgical procedures, on patients of all ages and in any state of health. At least six months are spent in critical care units, such as coronary care, paediatric and adult-intensive care. By the end of their training they become experts in anaesthesia, resuscitation, critical care, and pain management.

A considerable part of the work is in providing anaesthesia in the operating room. However, in modern hospitals you will find them in intensive care units, maternity units, pre-admission clinics, radiology departments, pain clinics etc. Perioperative medicine is the term used to describe your medical care before, during and shortly after your operation.

What should I study?

You must have passed your Plus Two with biology, physics and chemistry. You should then appear for your MBBS, which is a five-and-a-half-year course. On completing your MBBS, you have to appear for an all-India postgraduate entrance exam. Successful candidates are allotted seats in various specialisations based on their merit. For an MD in anaesthetics, you have to have a high rank.

What next?

Anaesthetics is the largest single hospital speciality as it has doctors active in a wide range of clinical and non-clinical areas. Doctors trained in anaesthesia are essential to all surgical subspecialities; in the role of perioperative physicians they develop skills to provide optimal patient care in the full range of surgical specialities. Over 90 per cent of medical staff working in intensive care medicine come from an anaesthetic background. Apart from the management of patients in the ICU, they play pivotal roles in trauma patient care, adult and paediatric resuscitation and the management of the critically ill in other hospital areas.

Where should I study?

Some of the colleges offering MD in anaesthetics are as follows:

1. AIIMS, New Delhi 110029

2. AFMC, Sholapur Road, Pune 411040

3. Institute of Medical Sciences, BHU, Varanasi 221005

4. Christian Medical College, Vellore - 632002

5. JIPMER, Pondicherry 605006

6. Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, AMU, Aligarh 202002

8. Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal 576119

10. Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Chandigarh 160012

11. Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai 400012

12. Institute of PG Medical Education and Research, J.C. Bose Road, Calcutta 700020