Anesthesiologists are saving lives throughout surgery. Physician anesthesiologists are medical professionals that oversee the anesthetic care team, ensuring patient safety, preventing problems, and responding to life-threatening crises during surgery. Other anesthesiologist roles include teaching medical students and residents how to give anesthesia, conducting research on anesthesia-related issues, and serving on hospital administrative panels that make health care decisions. Physician anesthesiologists are required to complete at least two years of additional postgraduate training after medical school to become board certified by the American Board of Anesthesiology. They then can practice independently, or work with other anesthesiologists as an anesthesiologist-in-chief (AIC) or in other positions within a hospital system. Anesthesia is one of the safest forms of medicine. It has reduced the risk of death during surgery from 20% to 1%. Anesthesiologists also play a crucial role in diagnosing and treating any complications that may arise from anesthesia. For example, an anesthesiologist might detect a blockage in a blood vessel during surgery and be able to treat it immediately before it causes pain for the patient. Anesthesiologists continue to learn new techniques and technologies and apply what they learn to improve patient care each time they perform an operation.