MS in Anaesthesiology is a 3-year postgraduate course in a surgery. The course is offered at most of the country’s medical universities recognized by the MCI. Holders of the degree are licensed to practice and conduct surgery as part of medical treatment. The course focuses on utilization of drugs that minimize pain by causing numbness in the affected region.

The program involves components of study such as ambulatory anesthesia, cardiothoracic anaesthesiology, paediatric anaesthesiology, neuroanaesthesia, obstetrical anaesthesiology and pain management.

Enrolled students need to undergo a long period of medical training prior to practicing.

Final selection to the course is based on the candidate’s entrance test scores, academic profile and performance in interview. The mode of admission is a relevant entrance examination carried out by different universities. The average tuition fee charged for the course in India ranges between INR 10 and 60 Lacs.

Successful postgraduates of the course are hired as:

• Cardiac Anaesthesiologists
• General Anaesthesiologists
• Anaesthesia Technicians (AT)
• Certified Registered Nurse Anaesthetists (CRNA)
• Anaesthesiologist Assistants (AAs)
• Medical Consultants

They are employed in fields like universities, hospitals, clinics, government organisations, research organisations, etc., with an average annual starting salary ranging between INR 2 and 30 Lacs, increasing with experience in the field.

MS in Anaesthesiology: Career Prospects

Anesthesiologists are physicians who control and administer anesthesia prior to a surgical procedure. They are only needed only during the operations and they are not required to stay in the hospital for hours on end.

As preoperative physicians, anesthesiologists also work in:

• ICUs,
• PACUs,
• Pain clinics,
• Infusion centers,
• Ambulatory surgical centers.

They also oversee the provision of ventilation, fluid management, all vital systems of unconscious patients as well 

Some of the top professional avenues open to such postgraduates are listed below with the corresponding salaries offered for the respective positions.

Job Profile	Job Description	Average Annual Salary in INR per year
Associate Consultant	A Consultant Anaesthetist’s job plan includes (on a full-time basis and subject to job planning) five half day clinical commitments to theatre lists, urgent work, and other sessions, including some flexible, daytime, and out-of-hours emergency covers organised on a rota basis.	3,43,000
Cardiac anesthesia	Cardiothoracic Anaesthesiologists are responsible for preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative care of new-borns through adult patients who undergo heart and chest surgery and other related invasive procedures.	1,800,000
Anesthesiologist	Anaesthesiologists are the physicians trained in administering and managing the anaesthesia given during a surgical procedure. They are also responsible for managing and treating changes in critical life functions such as breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure - as they are affected by the surgery being performed.	1,180,000
Anesthesia Technician (AT)	Job duties might vary as per an Anaesthesia Technician's skill level, as well as the state and type of facility of employment. In general, Anaesthesia Technicians clean, sterilize, test, calibrate, and troubleshoot anaesthesia equipment, as well as keep records of equipment inspections.	7,20,000
Anesthesiologist Assistant (AAs)	An Anaesthesiologist Assistant is a health care professional who works under the supervision of an Anaesthesiologist, primarily assisting him while he prepares a patient for anesthesia.	2,200,000