Hello everyone! My name is Erin Dunn and I am from Long Island, NY. I am a Health Science Major with a double minor in Chemistry and Public Health, and I am so excited to begin blogging!
Ever since I was little, I knew I loved science, math, and medicine. Thus, coming to college, choosing my major was relatively easy. My health science major gives me the freedom to explore difference sciences, mainly in different levels of biology, chemistry, and physics. Additionally, I am gathering exposure to human health classes, such as anatomy, physiology, and epidemiology.
As an ambitious college freshman on the pre-med track, the first week of classes at the University of Miami I was overwhelmingly exposed to a number of research programs and opportunities that would accelerate and make me competitive for applying to medical school, which truly had me thinking–what type of medicine did I want to pursue? After conducting some own personal research, I discovered and became infatuated with anesthesiology. So, let me relay some of the information I have learned!
To close your eyes, count backwards from ten, and fall into perhaps the deepest sleep of your life — this is the responsibility of an anesthesiologist. To define, anaesthesiology is the field of medicine dedicated to relieving pain before, during, and after surgery. Just like shoe shopping, there is a specific fit that needs to be taken into consideration when administering anaesthesia. In further explanation, there are three major types of anaesthesia: general, sedation, and regional anaesthesia. Depending on the patient’s medical history and preferences or the procedure planned, this will determine the type of anaesthesia chosen.
The path to become an anesthesiologist takes a great amount of dedication, with the journey consisting of an undergraduate degree, medical school, residency, fellowship, and board examinations. The fellowships to become an anesthesiologists are becoming increasingly competitive: most students applying have stellar scores on the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Listening Examination. Typically, anesthesiologists have great interests in pharmacology, physiology, and are extremely calm under high-pressure situations. The compensation is well-deserved, with an average earning of $360,000, with several weeks of paid vacation, and typically aren’t demanded to be accessible on days off (unlike a specialty in OBGYN). The majority of anesthesiologists work in hospitals; however, there are few specializations that treat solely chronic pain in private practices, some of which work closely with a certified nurse registered anesthetist, resident physician, or student nurse anesthetists. The hospital-atmosphere requires an aptitude and passion for helping patients in extremely high levels of pain. In comparison, anesthesiologists focusing on chronic pain in private practices tend to have more flexible schedules, and typically do not experience “burn-out” like other high pressure fields (such as emergency medicine or surgical specialities).
Current research conducted in this field relates strongly to a new device or IT innovation which allows the administration of anesthesia to become more natural and comfortable for the patient. The WFSA, World Federation of Societies of Anesthesiologists, work strongly to promote research and provide other anesthesiologists with opportunities to connect with one another. Any new discoveries which can aid comfort and ease for the patient is obviously with the investment, especially for certain individuals who are allergic to the typical types of anesthesia, and need surgery. Henceforth, anesthesiology is extremely prevalent in today’s progressing society!
Erin's Scientific Blog 