How to become an anaesthetist

A career in anaesthesia is rewarding and challenging. Anaesthetists form the largest specialty group of doctors in the NHS and their skills are used in all aspects of patient care. They provide care to patients across all age ranges and a spectrum of comorbidities, and work in many different areas of the hospital.

The first step to becoming an anaesthetist is completing five years of undergraduate medical training, followed by two years of foundation training. During the second year of foundation training, trainees can apply for postgraduate training in anaesthesia.

There are two options for postgraduate training. One is the direct route through core training, which takes a total of seven years. The other is an eight year anaesthesia programme, which includes two years of the acute care common stem (ACCS) programme.

The ACCS programme covers the specialties of anaesthesia, acute medicine (general internal), emergency medicine, and intensive care medicine. The anaesthesia component in the ACCS programme is nearly identical to the first six months of the core anaesthetics programme. Trainees also have the option of completing dual certificates of completion of …