Dr. Brenda J. Banks is an anesthesiologist for the Houston Methodist Hospital Baytown in Houston, TX. Banks earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Spelman College, a Doctor of Medicine from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. She did a preliminary internship in Internal Medicine at Abington Memorial Hospital in Abington, PA and a residency in Anesthesiology at New York Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University in New York, NY. An excerpt of the interview with Banks follows:

What career path led to your profession of anesthesiologist?  

I knew from an early age that I would probably be a doctor.  I liked and was always good at biological sciences and I had a strong desire to better understand and treat the physical ailments of those around me.  Of course this career path was also supported and encouraged by my family since they always wanted a medical doctor in the family.  Once I entered medical school, I discovered the field of anesthesiology after rotating through various specialties during my third year of medical school.  I liked the immediate gratification involved with the practice of anesthesiology. I liked working in the operating room. I liked doing procedures. I liked the variety of patients and cases that I got to be involved with, and I loved the ability to focus on one patient at a time.  I liked the feeling of being a “guardian angel” during some of the most stressful times of people’s lives.

What educational background and or professional training are essential for this profession? 

Traditionally, four years of college, four years of medical school, and four years of residency training are the basics.  There may be some variations based on individual circumstances.  There are also a number of written and clinical skills exams along the way that allow one to become licensed and board certified to practice medicine.  While it is not necessary to major in science in college, it is necessary to have the minimum required number of basic science classes in college to set the foundation for medical school training.  It is good to have some exposure to the medical field such as volunteer experience prior to medical school to make sure that medicine is the path the person wants to pursue since it requires a lot of work and dedication.

What influenced you to pursue a career in your profession?

My father was a dentist, so I liked the idea of a health related career.  As I previously stated, I liked biology and was always curious about the human body, diseases and how to prevent and fix them. As I got older, I also learned about health disparities within the African American community and wanted to be a part of minimizing those.

What professional, civic or community organizations do you belong?

I belong to the Houston Medical Forum, which is our branch of the NMA (National Medical Association, the largest and oldest national organization representing African American physicians). I am member of the Mary Susan Moore Medical Society (Houston’s black female medical society), the Spelman Alumnae Association, the American Society of Anesthesiologists and Houston Young Professionals.

What are some of your accomplishments in higher education and/or work?

I was proud to mentor college students who were interested in becoming anesthesiologists.  I was also proud to be voted Anesthesia Provider of the Quarter at my hospital.  And the greatest honor of all is when nurses at my hospital request for me to perform their anesthetics as well as the anesthetics of their family members.  That is the ultimate compliment and feeling of professional achievement.  The nurses see everything and when they trust you, it’s humbling but also the best feeling in the world.

What advice do you give to students who desire to pursue a career as an anesthesiologist?

Study hard, make good grades, get involved in extracurricular activities and seek mentors of people who actually want to help you succeed. Also, take full advantage of opportunities as they arise, volunteer your time, get as much exposure to your field of interest as you can and keep God first.

What is your typical work schedule? Describe what you do?

I don’t have a typical work schedule.  It varies.  There is a lot of variation in being an anesthesiologist depending on where one works, what kind of position one has accepted (call taking position versus 7:00 a.m. – 3:00pm), the time of year, how many cases are scheduled in the operating room.  On the average, I work from 6:45a.m. until anywhere between 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.  I may arrive earlier on specific days for early start cases.  I take overnight call in the hospital approximately one time per week and I take a 24-hour weekend call one weekend day per month.  When I am at work, I am assigned to different areas each day.  One day, I may be covering the obstetrics service and doing epidurals and C-sections.  The next day or later on the same day, I may be providing anesthesia for colonoscopies. The next day, I may be running the board, which involves supervising CRNASs, seeing patients, doing peripheral nerve blocks, starting difficult IVs, managing patients’ pain in the recovery room and moving cases and staff around so we can run the operating room schedule as smoothly and efficiently as possible.  The next day, I may be assigned to a specific room where I do general anesthetics for general surgeries.  There are no dull days and no two days are alike.

What are some best practices in your profession for addressing people with heart disease?

A thorough history is obtained for each patient and we place a special focus on the cardiovascular and pulmonary portions of the history as anesthesiologists.  When indicated, we obtain additional studies, such as EKGs, echocardiograms, and stress tests to better understand a patient’s cardiac status and to take care of them to the best of our ability.  We may also work with the patient’s cardiologist to optimize the patient’s status prior to surgery, if there is time.  Depending on the type of cardiac disease, we alter and taper our anesthetic plan for that individual to minimize the strain on the person’s cardiovascular system. We also plan for the post-operative care of patients with heart disease since they may need additional care and monitoring afterwards and may need to stay in the ICU as opposed to the regular floor or going immediately home.

Dr. Ronald Holmes is the author of 18 books and publisher of “The Holmes Education Post,” an education focused Internet newspaper.  Holmes is a former teacher, school administrator, test developer and district superintendent.