Future of Anesthesiology? (2024)

Hi there,

I'm an MS3 interested in applying to anesthesiology. So far I've really enjoyed my experience- I like the mix of medicine and procedures, the work-life balance doesn't seem too bad, and from what I've heard the job market is pretty hot right now. Of course, it'll be another five years before I'm looking for a job, so I'm hoping to hear from those of you who have been in the field awhile about your concerns for the future of anesthesiology.

Are residencies out supplying demand (like EM)?
How likely are CRNAs/AAs to obtain more independence over the coming years, and if they do, will the field of anesthesiology become obsolete or will physicians still be preferred providers?
Any other concerns?

I feel like anesthesia becomes a default specialty choice for people who couldn’t find something they were passionate about lol. But really, I think anesthesia is a great field. It’s too bad it became what it is today with mid levels, but that’s becoming true of all specialties at this point. Just more headway from CRNAs.

Anyways, the job market is hot with lots of jobs out there. I’m looking in a large metropolitan area right now and they are trying to hire like crazy. The problem is these jobs are all corporate jobs nowadays. No true physician owned private groups any more. I think the base salary gap between academics and private is closing because of that. Also, these corporate jobs are almost all supervision now. There is plenty of work to go around hence the hot job market but the corporate make us do 1:4 to cover so it’s not ideal type of job. There are still solo jobs in my area too so it’s not all lost.

So definitely anesthesiology is continuing to head towards corporate ownership, more supervision. Nothing getting in the way of stopping that. Wage potential will continue to go downward as we become more corporate. I still think 10 years from now we are still the standard but I can definitely see independent mid levels becoming more prominent which will bring down pay a bit. But probably not too low because as you’ve heard, icu nurses and even CRNAs make lots of money for the hours worked. They aren’t taking less when working more with more responsibility.

premedeq said:

Hi there,

I'm an MS3 interested in applying to anesthesiology. So far I've really enjoyed my experience- I like the mix of medicine and procedures, the work-life balance doesn't seem too bad, and from what I've heard the job market is pretty hot right now. Of course, it'll be another five years before I'm looking for a job, so I'm hoping to hear from those of you who have been in the field awhile about your concerns for the future of anesthesiology.

Are residencies out supplying demand (like EM)?
How likely are CRNAs/AAs to obtain more independence over the coming years, and if they do, will the field of anesthesiology become obsolete or will physicians still be preferred providers?
Any other concerns?

Click to expand...

Be smart. Derm is where it’s at. No nights, no weekends, tons of money. 😁

Blockit said:

Be smart. Derm is where it’s at. No nights, no weekends, tons of money. 😁

Click to expand...

Actually derm is increasing residency spots and even hca is opening residencies now. They are getting bought out, corporatized with increased mid level infiltration. It's still good but who knows how it will look in five years for any field?

Blockit said:

Be smart. Derm is where it’s at. No nights, no weekends, tons of money. 😁

Click to expand...

Derm isn’t what it once was. That doesn’t make it bad, it just means it isn’t what it once was. Midlevels, HCA residences, expanding residency spots, and corporate medicine have knocked it down a bit.

Right now I don’t know that there are fields hotter than radiology or cardiology (and cards mostly because it’s ever expanding).

Southpaw said:

Derm isn’t what it once was. That doesn’t make it bad, it just means it isn’t what it once was. Midlevels, HCA residences, expanding residency spots, and corporate medicine have knocked it down a bit.

Right now I don’t know that there are fields hotter than radiology or cardiology (and cards mostly because it’s ever expanding).

Click to expand...

Radiology is hot again?

spike7585 said:

Radiology is hot again?

Click to expand...

5ish years ago the job market was terrible, people were doing multiple fellowships, the quality of residents dropped as med students heard about what was going on. Then the job market got better and those residents that wouldn't have made it in a few years earlier are now doing very well.