Anesthesiologist Assistant

Anesthesiologist assistants (AAs) are highly skilled, graduate-level professionals who work under the direction of licensed anesthesiologists as part of the anesthesia care team. They design and implement anesthesia care plans and play a crucial role in ensuring patient safety and comfort during surgical and other procedures. The road to becoming an AA tends to be shorter than becoming a physician, with the curriculum lasting two to three years. Specialties include pediatric anesthesia, cardiovascular anesthesia, neuroanesthesia, regional anesthesia, obstetrical anesthesia, and more.

In order to become an anesthesiologist assistant, an individual must earn a Master of Science in Anesthesia from an accredited program and pass the National Commission of Anesthesiologist Assistants Certifying Exam. Many states also require separate state licensure, though in three states AA’s work under delegatory authority. AA’s can currently work in 22 states, Washington D.C., and the U.S. Territory of Guam, as well as at any Veterans Affairs facility in all 50 states.

To qualify for admission to an anesthesiologist assistant program, students must take the necessary prerequisites for each school and complete a bachelor's degree.

Degrees and Coursework

Popular majors among pre-anesthesiologist assistant students at UNT include:

Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science in Biology, College of Science
Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, College of Science

Option III would be the best fit for pre-health students

Please note that anesthesiologist assistant programs do not require a particular degree. If you choose a major outside of the sciences, we recommend taking extra courses in biology, in addition to all of the required prerequisites.

For more information about each major, please visit the UNT Catalog and select 'majors, minors, certificates' that is found beneath the link to ‘Catalog Home'.

Please refer to our Pre-Anesthesiologist Assistant Packet for a list of AA program prerequisites. There are currently fifteen AA programs with twenty-four campuses across the country. We also recommend you refer to each individual school's website for the most up-to-date information.

Applying to Anesthesiologist Assistant School

Admission to an anesthesiologist assistant program is very competitive and students should create a strategic plan well in advance. Below you will find typical categories of a competitive application. Please contact our advisors in the UNT Office of Health Professions to further explore each competitive characteristic and to create your pre-anesthesiologist assistant plan.

Recommendations for a Competitive Application:

Overall and Math/Science GPAs - 3.5-4.0 (average admitted GPAs vary by school)
MCAT scores – 499+
GRE scores – Verbal: 150+ / Quantitative: 150+ / Writing: 4+
Shadowing/Observation - 8+ Hours
Volunteering - 100+ Hours
Various Extracurricular Activities, On or Off Campus

Core Competencies for Healthcare

The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) came up with a set of skills, knowledge, and personal characteristics that they believe are essential for future physicians called the pre-med core competencies. Because of its relevance to all healthcare professions, many other health professional schools have embraced the core competencies as well. Since many, if not most, health professional schools evaluate applicants based on these competencies, we recommend that students develop proficiency in them. More information on the AAMC Core Competencies can be found here.

Using this handout, your pre-health advisor can help you evaluate your progress on becoming a competitive applicant to optometry school.

Anesthesiologist assistant schools in the United States use one online application service called CASAA (Centralized Application Service for Anesthesiologist Assistants). The application cycle opens in March of each year, accepting applications for entering the program the following year. Please note that there are fees associated with using this service.

Students must apply to anesthesiologist assistant schools one year before entering a program. On the traditional four-year path, students will apply during the spring of their junior year of college, complete their bachelor's degree at the end of their senior year, and enter anesthesiologist assistant school the following fall semester. However, every student’s journey is different and your UNT Health Professions Advisor is committed to helping create a plan and timeline that accommodates each student’s individual goals and circumstances.

Most anesthesiologist assistant programs require the MCAT (Medical College Admissions Test) be taken before applying. We strongly recommend that you not take the MCAT until after all prerequisites have been completed. Some schools also accept the GRE (Graduate Record Examination). We recommend you research each program to see what they require. For more information about the MCAT, please visit the official webpage on AAMC.

Additional Resources for Students

Yes, pre-anesthesiologist assistant students can apply for the following pre-health scholarships using the College of Science general scholarship application:

The Dr. Charles D. and Vernil Mitchell Endowed Scholarship
To be considered, a student must enroll as a full-time undergraduate student in any degree-granting major in the College of Science and be a graduate of any high school in Dallas ISD. For more information, please contact us at healthcareers@unt.edu.

You can find a list of health-related student organizations at UNT here. You can search for other student clubs and organizations on OrgSync.

If you are a current student at UNT, we encourage you to schedule an appointment with one of our pre-health advisors using the following link: https://unt.navigate.eab.com/. If you are a prospective student, interested in enrolling at UNT in the future, and have any questions about "pre-optometry" at UNT, please feel free to contact us at healthcareers@unt.edu.