Anesthesiology Assistant
THIS WEBSITE IS FOR CSU STUDENTS PURSUING CAREERS AS ANESTHESIOLOGY ASSISTANTS – CSU DOES NOT HAVE AN ANESTHESIOLOGY ASSISTANT PROGRAM
Overview
Anesthesiologist Assistants (AAs) are highly skilled health professionals who work under the direction of licensed anesthesiologists to implement anesthesia care plans. AAs work exclusively within the anesthesia care team environment as described by the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA). All AAs possess a premedical background, a baccalaureate degree, and also complete a comprehensive didactic and clinical program at the graduate school level. AAs are trained extensively in the delivery and maintenance of quality anesthesia care as well as advanced patient monitoring techniques. The goal of AA education is to guide the transformation of qualified student applicants into competent health care practitioners who aspire to practice in the anesthesia care team.
Anesthesiologist Assistants and certified registered nurse anesthetists are both defined as “non-physician anesthetists” within the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services section of the Code of Federal Regulations. (Description from the American Academy of Anesthesiologist Assistants).
CSU Recommended Coursework
| These courses are provided as GENERAL pre-requisites and may not represent a complete list of requirements. It is the student’s responsibility to check with each professional school in order to determine specific pre-requisites courses and equivalencies for each institution. | |
| Requirement | Recommended CSU Course(s) |
| Biology (2 semesters w/labs) | LIFE 102 & one other lab-based biology course |
| Chemistry (2 semesters w/labs) | CHEM111/112 & CHEM113/114 |
| Organic Chemistry (2 semesters w/labs) | CHEM 341 and CHEM343/344 |
| Biochemistry (1 semester) | BC351 |
| Physics (2 semesters w/labs) | PH121 and 122 or PH141 and 142 (UC-Denver prefers calculus-based) |
| Calculus (1 semester) | MATH 155 or MATH 160 |
| Statistics (1 semester) | STAT 201, 301 or 307 |
| Human Anatomy (1 semester) – Required by UC-Denver | BMS301 |
| Human Physiology (1 semester) – Required by UC-Denver | BMS300/302 |
| Preferred Courses: | Cellular and Molecular Biology |
Programs and Preparation
Accredited Programs:
American Academy of Anesthesiologist Assistants
Colorado Programs:
University of Colorado School of Medicine AA Program
Admissions Tests
Some AA Programs require students take the MCAT while others require the GRE. Check with individual institutions for admissions requirements.
Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT)
Graduate Record Exam (GRE)