Anaesthetist

When someone needs surgery, an anaethetist will give them drugs which cause loss of feeling in all or part of the body - they may or may not still be awake. They will give these before, during and after the surgery, in order to keep the patient as comfortable as possible. Anaethetists need to have excellent communication skills as they need to be able to explain choices to their patients. They need to be able to work under pressure, making quick and accurate decisions, as their patients' lives may be at stake. Day to date, they may be preparing patients for surgery by explaining risks or side effects (there's those good communication skills again), observing and monitoring patients during their surgery, or easing pain after an operation. In order to become an anaethetist, you need to complete a 5-year degree in medicine followed by a specialist training programme. If you already have a Science based degree, it may be possible to complete a 4 year entry programme. The hard work pays off though. Doctors in training can start on a salary of £26,350, and highly experienced anaethetists can earn up to £102,500.