• Earn an undergraduate degree and complete all the AA school prerequisites
• Take the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) or the GRE
• Apply to AA Programs (Master's Degree)

Shadowing is often the first step in deciding if a career in anesthesia is right for you. You can gain familiarity and comfort with different clinical environments and speak to physicians, CAAs, and CRNAs about the realities of their everyday work. Some schools mandate a minimum number of shadowing hours. 

At least 6 month of Healthcare experience. Common clinical experiences include:

• Scribing:Links to an external site.These paid positions enable you to work alongside physicians while documenting findings from patient exams and assessments. Scribing allows you to observe doctor-patient interactions and familiarize yourself with medical terminology.
• Emergency Medical Technician (EMT):Links to an external site.Working as an EMT allows for extensive exposure to patients. Although EMTs do not observe doctor-patient interactions, they learn many aspects of medical care and often develop excellent cultural competence and collaborative skills. 

• Medical Assistant: Links to an external site.MA positions generally blend administrative and clinical duties, and usually provide opportunities to interact with both doctors and patients. Many offices will train you internally and do not require formal training or certifications.
• Hospital/Clinic Volunteering

Volunteer Work

• AA schools look for substantive, longitudinal service experiences that show a commitment to your community and a curiosity about the lived experiences of others outside the scope of medicine. 

Paid employment (non-healthcare), Leadership, Extra-curricular engagement, and conducting in Research are all other ways to diversify your experiences and prepare for a career as an Anesthesiologist Assistant. 

• American Academy of Anesthesiologist Assistants
• American Society of Anesthesiologists

There is no universal "right" time to apply to medical school; the best time to apply is when you have fully interrogated your motivation for a career in medicine and are positioned to submit a well-rounded and competitive application. Students who wish to matriculate to medical school immediately after graduation should have all aspects of their application completed by the June following their junior year. Students who take a gap year will apply the June following their senior year. 

Please work with HPAO to help understand your competitiveness and determine the best timeline for you. Our advisors will encourage you to consider:

1. Are your metrics competitive? Do you need additional coursework or MCAT/GRE prep time to bolster your metrics?

2. Have you interrogated your motivation for anesthesia and shown your commitment to this career path through substantive clinical experiences?

3. Have you invested in your community, developed cultural competence, and shown interest in the lived experiences of others through longitudinal service?

4. How have you engaged with scientific inquiry and knowledge production through research?

5. Have you created and maintained relationships with professors or former clinical/volunteer supervisors for Letters of Recommendation?

6. Will you have time to complete all aspects of your application while fulfilling your academic and extracurricular obligations?

8. Are you aware of the costs associated with applying to AA schools?

Students don't always initially plan for a gap year; however, the extra time can be very beneficial. A gap year allows for such things as additional exam preparation, longitudinal service, clinical and research experiences, personal enrichment, and rest. Many of our students are grateful in retrospect that they took an extra year before diving into another academically intense experience!