Anesthesiology is the study and practice of administering sedation and/or anesthesia to a living creature for the purpose of blocking pain. An anesthesiologist specializes in the field after undergoing the usual medical school education and residency. Most doctors have general training in anesthesiology, but like all medical specialties, additional study and a residency in that field is required for certification.

The main goal of anesthesiology is to prevent a patient from feeling pain. Thus, an anesthesiologist may also be involved in a patient’s pain management after surgery. He or she will also often recommend the best method of anesthesia, depending on the procedure, since not every method is suited for every procedure on every patient. Numerous medications are available for the anesthesiologist to select from, and part of the anesthesiology training is knowing which medication suits which patient for any given procedure. Age, height, weight and general health are all factors.