To become an anesthesiologist, one must receive an undergraduate and medical degree and complete three to five years of residency training. Additional fellowship training of up to three years is also sometimes required for specialized professions, such as cardiology, pediatrics, and gastroenterology.
The schooling requirements of all physicians apply to an anesthesiologist. One does not have to major in pre-med or a science or math subject while obtaining a bachelor’s degree, but it will help when taking the competitive Medical College Admissions Test required for medical school placement. An anesthesiologist can choose an allopathic medical degree, known as an M.D., or a doctorate of osteopathic medicine, which is known as a D.O.