The Association of Anesthesiologist Assistant Education Programs (AAAEP*) is the national association of Anesthesiologist Assistant educators which serves as the voice of Anesthesiologist Assistant education. ​*Association of Anesthesiologist Assistant Education Programs (AAAEP) is the dba designation adopted by the Association of Anesthesiologist Assistant Program Directors (AAAPD).

The first AA program was started in 1969 and today there are 12 nationally accredited Anesthesiologist Assistant Educational programs in the United States. Our organization is comprised of members from all accredited programs.

All Anesthesiologist Assistant Education Programs award a Master’s degree upon completion. Applicants to these programs must have completed a minimum of a Bachelor’s degree and pre-medical coursework such as Biology, Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Physics, and Advanced Math. Programs must have a Certified Anesthesiologist Assistant (CAA) as a program director and a board certified Anesthesiologist as the medical director.

The Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) accredits programs upon the recommendation of the Accreditation Review Committee for the Anesthesiologist Assistant (ARC-AA). The minimum standards for accreditation of Anesthesiologist Assistant programs may be found here.

Anesthesiologist Assistant students and practitioners participate in a national certification process. The National Commission for Certification of Anesthesiologist Assistants (NCCAA) provides the certification process for anesthesiologist assistants in the united states. The certification process for anesthesiologist assistants includes an initial certifying examination, ongoing registration of continuing medical education, and interval examinations for continued demonstration of qualifications.

Here is a short YouTube about the profession Anesthesiologist Assistant . 

The image below depicts the pathway from admission to practice for a Certified Anesthesiologist Assistant.