Anesthesiologists must first graduate from medical school as qualified doctors. After high school you'll need to complete a minimum of two to three years of undergraduate university education, including the successful completion of several required science courses, and then medical school -another 4 years.

After graduating from medical school, MDs who want to be anesthesiologists must complete an anesthesiology residency which is usually five years. The residency includes basic clinical training, as well as training in adult and child anesthesiology, obstetric anesthesiology, critical care, and chronic pain management.

Once the anesthesiology residency is completed, MDs must pass the qualification exam of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. They must also be licensed by the appropriate province or territory.

Other Suggested Qualifications

Anesthesiologists should have good communication skills so that they can effectively communicate with patients, their families, and other members of the medical team.

It's also important for them to be skilled with their hands and be able to insert lines and tubes into a patient's body accurately and quickly. In general, they should be careful and thorough.

Anesthesiologists should be emotionally stable and have the ability to make decisions in emergencies. They must be willing to study throughout their career to keep up with medical advances.