Candidates for jobs in anaesthesia must hold a postgraduate specialist qualification obtained upon completion of a residency program and accepted by the appropriate professional regulatory authority for registration as a specialist in anaesthesia.

The most highly rated qualifications are the following:

UK: FRCA and CCT 

Ireland: FCA and CSD

USA: American Board of Anaesthesia

Canada: FRCPC

Australia and New Zealand: FRANZCA

Germany: Fachartz in Anaesthesia

France: DES

Spain: Spanish Board of Anaesthesia

Italy: Italian Board of Anaesthesia.

If you are unsure if your qualification will be accepted, please ask the recruiter managing the job.

Subspecialist qualifications are not essential for the vast majority of anaesthetist jobs but tertiary and larger secondary hospitals often seek anaesthetists with subspecialist training in specific fields such as cardiac anaesthesia, obstetric anaesthesia, paediatric anaesthesia, neuro anaesthesia or pain management. 

Qualification requirements are detailed on the job adverts and if a subspecilaist qualification is required, this will be shown.

Anaesthetists are in high demand due to shortages of qualified physicians in many healthcare systems. Anaesthetists with broad general skills and are sought for secondary, tertiary and rural hospitals. Some positions in smaller hospitals require skills in intensive care medicine. However in larger hospitals, intensive care units are usually staffed by qualified full time intensivists. 

Tertiary hospitals often seek anaesthetists with further specialist training in pain management, cardiac anaesthesia or neuro anaesthesia.