This article is from Anesthesiology News on November 12, 2025.
In today’s red-hot job market for anesthesiologists, it’s easy to understand why many graduating residents are choosing to skip fellowship training and head straight into practice. The demand for anesthesiologists has never been higher, driven by an aging population, a surge in non-OR procedures, and a wave of retirements among baby boomer clinicians. Clinician unemployment is virtually nonexistent, and opportunities abound. But in our rush to meet today’s needs, we risk compromising the future of our specialty—and the quality of care for our most vulnerable patients.
One-year anesthesiology fellowships in subspecialties such as cardiac anesthesiology, pain medicine, pediatric anesthesiology, neuroanesthesia, obstetric anesthesiology, and critical care medicine are more than academic exercises. They are essential training grounds that equip anesthesiologists with the advanced skills and experience needed to care for patients with complex, high-risk conditions. These are the patients (e.g., neonates with congenital heart defects, mothers with high-risk pregnancies, trauma victims with neurologic injuries) who would greatly benefit from the extra training and expertise of subspecialty-trained anesthesiologists.
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