An anesthesiologist-assistant is the person who administers medication, evaluates and treats life-threatening situations, performs both general and regional anesthetic techniques and who constantly assists the anesthesiologist during the procedures.

 

These specialists provide assistance to the patients not only during the surgery, but also before and after it. Their work contributes significantly to successful surgeries as they ensure the comfort and well-being of the patient.

 

The duties are performed under the supervision of the medical anesthesiologist. A part of the workday also involves some administrative tasks such as collecting data about the patient and managing the database.

 

The work is performed in the surgical and emergency care department of hospitals. All anesthesiologist-assistants must follow very strict rules regarding cleanliness and sterilization, like all doctors who work in the operating room. They can be on call on evenings or weekends.

 

In order to work, an assistant must have the Anesthesiologist Assistant Master Degree. To be enrolled in this master program, the candidate must have a bachelor's degree, premedical coursework, a GRE or MCAT exam and 8 hours of anesthesia observation. Once admitted in the master's level, the candidate will study courses and get numerous certifications in BLS (Basic Life Support), Advanced Cardiac Life Support or PALS (Pediatric Life Support). When he completes the courses, the graduate must take a certification from the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME). This certificate will have to be taken every six years.

 

The salary of an anesthesiologist-assistant is usually of $43.00 to $63.00 per hour. The median salary is about $97,000 a year.

 

The top paying institutions for this specialization are offices of dentists, general medical and surgical hospitals, offices of other health practitioners and specialty hospitals.

 

Offices of dentists offer a yearly salary of around $189,330, offices of other practitioners offer an hourly wage of $84.97 and an annual one of $176,740, while a general hospital can offer about $163,220 a year.

 

The states that provide the highest salaries are Wyoming, Nevada, District of Columbia, Connecticut and Oregon. They all offer over $176,000 a year for an experienced professional.

 

The salary of an anesthesiologist-assistant is one the highest paying assistant jobs, but it also involves many years of study and work. These specialists work in very strict and sterile conditions that require the utmost discipline, skills and knowledge. They have a stable career but they have to always be ready to handle the most different types of situations and to assist the anesthesiologist promptly.

 

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