You're saving lives and alleviating suffering (whether directly or indirectly) on a
daily basis. You hold a title that still commands significant respect, even at a
time when faith in every institution has been eroded. Any mother would be thrilled
to have her child marry you. You must be delighted to go to work every day.
All anesthesiologist love their jobs, right?
Sadly, the answer is, not always. Even within a single specialty, there will be
a full range of satisfaction levels among anesthesiologist. The differences can't just be
attributed to a positive outlook on the part of the happier MDs. Even if you love
the core of your work, in day to day life there are many things that can bring you
joy or pain. Taken together, the joys and frustrations will add up to make you
satisfied or unfulfilled.
Don't fall into the trap of needless self-sacrifice when choosing where to
work. If you are unhappy with your life, it will affect your ability to perform.
In the end, no one will benefit from that kind of self-sacrifice - not your patients,
your employer, your family, your career, nor, least of all, you.
Before you commit yourself to a anesthesiologist job, be sure you know exactly
what you are getting into. Learn about the important differences among your
available opportunities.
Important Differences Among anesthesiologist Jobs
You can find anesthesiologist at work in most of the settings in which healthcare
is provided, from large hospitals to traveling mobile clinics. However, anesthesiologist
recruiters will usually specialize in linking doctors with specific kinds of employers.
So, when choosing a recruiter to find you your next job, it is important to choose a
recruiter who works with the kinds of employers you want to work for. American
Healthcare only works with hospitals, specialized medical centers such as ambulatory
surgical centers, and (for MDAs) anesthesiology groups that provide services to these
healthcare providers.
Because there is a range of settings in which anesthesiologist practice, it's important
to think about where you want to be working, and what kind of patients you want to
see. Of course, in your anesthesiologist jobs search, you will be at an advantage when
applying to work in settings where you have experience--that is, the same kind of
place you're working already. However, as a anesthesiologist, you still have a freedom
of movement in your job search that is enviable in today's difficult job market.
Think hard about whether you are really happy with your current workplace, and what
you don't like. Now is the time to make a change if you are not happy in your current
anesthesiologist job.
Not only do anesthesiologist work in a variety of settings. As people, anesthesiologist are
definitely individuals. Even two anesthesiologist working side by side will each have his
or her own job satisfaction issues. When discussing your career plans with colleagues
or a recruiter, it's important to focus on the issues that mean the most to you,
and not arbitrary standards of job satisfaction or prestige. Some issues to
consider when looking at anesthesiologist jobs are:
Pace. This one issue is at the source of many day-to-day job complaints among healthcare professionals, yet surprisingly few people weight the issue properly in their job searches. Think hard about how busy you want to be. Will you be bored to tears if a day goes by when you don't have anything to do but paperwork? Or do you need a job that gives you some time to breathe?
Call packages. How often do you want to be on call?
Do you care about being on call at night, or only on weekends?
Or would you prefer never to be on call at all? If this is at all
important to you, you should communicate this to your recruiter.
Different jobs have a variety of call package options. Call packages can often
be negotiated by a skilled recruiter. Your willingness to go on call might
affect your pay options, but it also might not. Talk to your recruiter before
making any assumptions.
Shift. It goes without saying that third shift usually pays better
than second, and second shift better than first, because of their perceived
desirability. But what do you desire? Particularly if you're a single person,
second shift, or even third shift, might be more convenient than first shift.
Then again, if you're a single parent, it might be a nightmare. As a CRNA, you
get to decide.
Work Environment. Of course, this is not as big an issue for
CRNAs as for RNs and nurses in general, since CRNA job duties are essentially
the same across workplaces. Yet, for instance, if having a daily connection
to your professional network is important for you, you might want to go with a
hospital that has a number of other CRNAs, rather than a small practice.
Geographical location. CNRAs provide virtually all anesthetic
services in many rural areas, though of course, most CNRAs still work in urban
and suburban areas. If you've always wanted to experience country life, or move
to a new city, the current high demand across CNRA job markets means that now is
the time to make your move--or stay where you are, if that's where you want to be.
Types of patients. Working in a children's hospital or plastic
surgery practice will of course mean that you see certain kinds of patients with
particular needs, while working in a general hospital will mean a broader spectrum
of patients. This would seem to go without saying, but there is always the danger
that the allure of a prestigious practice and/or fantastic money will make you
forget the satisfaction of working with patients with whom you relate well.
The bottom line: if you don't like kids, you shouldn't apply to work in a children's
hospital, no matter what kind of package they're offering.
Anything else that's important to you. Do hot-pink scrubs make you
not want to go to work? That may be a little superficial, but if something is
truly affecting your job satisfaction, it's important enough for you to consider
it as a factor when choosing a job, and to mention it to your recruiter.