Anesthesiologists

Job opportunities for physicians and surgeons, including anesthesiologists, are expected to grow as fast as the average through 2032, according to the Occupational Outlook Handbook. This overall growth can be attributed to the expansion of the health care industry, in addition to the medical needs of the growing elderly population. Most anesthesiologists find work immediately after finishing their residencies. As medical advances allow for different kinds of treatment facilities, anesthesiologists will find more work outside of a traditional hospital setting. The development of more outpatient clinics, freestanding surgical centers, and respiratory therapy clinics has opened up employment opportunities for anesthesiologists.

Managed-care organizations have changed the way medicine is practiced and may continue to do so. Because anesthesiology is a hospital-based specialty, anesthesiologists must find ways to work within the guidelines of managed care, sometimes to the detriment of medical treatment. Anesthesiologists and other health care professionals will continue to challenge these organizations in order to practice medicine to the best of their abilities.