Letters and Science College of
UWMLetSci
Pre-Anesthesiologist Assistant
Program
Contact Info:
Current Students: Contact Lori Fitzenberger at
414-229-4654, or email [email protected]u
Not a UWM Student yet? Call our Admissions
Counselor at 414-229-7711 or email [email protected]
What is an Anesthesiologist Assistant?
An anesthesiologist assistant holds a similar
role to physician assistants who aide doctors.
Anesthesiologist assistants specically help
anesthesiologists during pre-op, surgery,
and post-op. Common job duties include
taking health histories from patients,
performing physical exams, diagnostic testing,
catheterization, administering and monitoring
anesthesia, post-op monitoring, life support,
documentation, and reporting.
The Pathway
To become an anesthesiologist assistant, students
must complete a four-year bachelor’s degree
with a rigorous science and math curriculum
that is very similar to a pre-med path. After
college, students must be admitted to an
anesthesiologist assistant master’s program
which takes an additional two years to complete.
In total, students can expect to be in school for
approximately six years.
During college, students learn the fundamentals
of biology and chemistry. The master’s program
builds on this knowledge and includes advanced
course work in physiology, pharmacology, anatomy and
biochemistry. Students learn how to apply the scientic
principles to the cardiovascular, respiratory, renal,
nervous and neuromuscular systems of the human body.
Graduate school also includes clinical training that
includes practice in patient care.
Admission to these graduate programs is very
competitive. There are only 12 accredited programs in
the U.S., including one in Milwaukee at the Medical
College of Wisconsin. Most schools bring in fewer than
20 students per year. Typically students will have earned a
3.6 GPA or higher while in college, and will have scored
above the 70th percentile on the standardized test for
graduate school.
Majors for Pre-Anesthesiologist Assistant
Anesthesiologist assistant schools do not require any
specic major but do expect that students will have taken
the necessary preparatory math and science coursework
needed to succeed in their program. This includes
multiple courses in chemistry, organic chemistry, and
biochemistry; multiple classes in biological sciences
including genetics and anatomy; math, generally
through the rst semester of calculus; and statistics.
Some physics is also required. Because of the heavy
emphasis on biology and chemistry, many students
choose to major in biology, chemistry, or biochemistry,
but that is not a requirement. As long as a student takes
the required preparatory coursework, he/she can major
in any subject area.
Quick Fact: Applicants for anesthesiologist
assistant programs take either the Medical
College Admissions Test (MCAT) or the
Graduate Record Examination (GRE) late in
spring of junior year or during the summer
between junior and senior year of college.
Students should check with the program they
plan to apply to in order to determine which test
they require.
Internships, Experience and Job Shadowing
In addition to strong academic credentials, most
anesthesiology assistant programs will require students
to have completed a number of hours of job shadowing.
Other related healthcare experience through volunteer
work, part-time jobs, or research internships can also
enhance a student’s application to anesthesiologist
assistant school. Students who declare an
intention to take a pre-anesthesiologist assistant
track will be assigned an advisor who specializes
in advising pre-health students and can assist with
nding these types of opportunities.
Advising
Because science coursework is very sequential and
must be taken in a specic order, students interested
in pre-anesthesiologist assistant should express their
intentions early so that they can be assigned to the
pre-anesthesiologist assistant advisor. An advisor who
specializes in healthcare graduate programs will
help the student with course selection in addition
to guidance on test preparation and experiential
opportunities. Taking the right courses beginning
in freshman year is vital to staying on track and
avoiding a delay in graduation.
History and Career Outlook
The concept of an anesthesiologist assistant was rst
envisioned in the 1960s when there was a shortage of
anesthesiologists. The rst formal training programs
were launched in the 1970s.
Since then, the profession has continued to grow,
and over the past few years has experienced more
rapid growth as once again shortages loom in the
medical profession. As the population ages, there is
more demand for healthcare services and thus more
providers are needed.
Job growth is limited by how many students
can graduate from the 12 available master’s
programs each year, but more programs are under
development.
Anesthesiologist assistants, in general, earn slightly
more than physician assistants due to their more
specialized training.
The educational path for physician assistant
and anesthesiologist assistant are different at
the graduate level, and the two careers are not
interchangeable. Someone with a anesthesiologist
assistant Master’s degree cannot work as a physician
assistant and someone with a physician assistant
Master’s degree cannot work as an anesthesiologist
assistant.
Certication as an anesthesiologist assistant is an
additional credential that can be earned from
the National Commission for Certication of
Anesthesiologist Assistants. Certication is not
recognized in all states, but where it is, it can
increase a person’s earning potential. Certication
is achieved through a series of tests and is maintained via
continuing education throughout a person’s career.
UWM Advantages
Students in the pre-anesthesiologist assistant program at
UWM have several unique opportunities outside of the
classroom to enhance their preparation for graduate
school:
» Ofce of Undergraduate Research (OUR): The
OUR program provides access to research experiences
for undergraduates. Students work directly with faculty
members and graduate students in their chosen eld of
study.
» Center for Community-Based Learning,
Leadership, and Research. The Center helps match
interested students with opportunities on campus or in
the community. It also offers leadership development
courses and training to provide students with the
philosophical background and tangible skills to make
a difference as active citizens during college and after
graduation.
» Specialty Advising. Students who indicate they
are on the pre-anesthesiologist assistant path will be
assigned to our pre-health advisor with more than 20
years of experience helping students achieve their
healthcare career goals. She assists students not only
with course selection but also with nding the right
experiential opportunities that will enhance their
application to graduate school.
As of 2018, entry-level salaries in Wisconsin
are approximately $180,000 per year
Suggested Pre-Anesthesiologist Assistant
Courses
Two semesters of General Chemistry with lab (Chem 102
and Chem 104)
One year of Organic Chemistry with lab (Chem 343, 344,
345)
Biochemistry (Chem 501)
One year of Biology with lab (Bio Sci 150, 152)
One year of anatomy and physiology with lab (Bio Sci 202,
203)
Three advanced lab-based Biology courses in genetics, cellu-
lar biology, microbiology (Bio Sci 315, 325, and 383)
One year of Physics with lab
Statistics (Math Stat 215, Psych 210, or Bio 465)
6 credits of English, including composition
Math through the rst semester of calculus
Revised 07/2019
College of Letters and Science
UWMLetSci
