Abstract
The image of anesthesiologists prevalent among high school students is mainly that created by the media, such as television, magazines and cartoons. This image is often quite different from reality, as the “voice” of anesthesiologists does not directly reach the general population.
Anesthesiologists have traditionally been regarded as playing only minor roles in medical practice. In a famous Japanese medical novel, SHIROI KYOTOU, written by Toyoko Yamazaki in 1963, anesthesiologists were not featured at all, although there were many surgical scenes in this book. For a long time, mass media has sensationalized anesthesia as one of the major causes of medical accidents ; the only anesthesia-related news that was published by the media was that of anesthetic accidents, resulting in the creation of a negative image in the minds of the public about anesthesia and anesthesiologists.
Recently, the role of anesthesiology in surgical practice has become more prominent, with the media, too, portraying a more positive and accurate image of anesthesiologists. This media attention could well be the platform that we anesthesiologists need to create a more realistic understanding of anesthesia among high school students as well as the general public.
We anesthesiologists should further this understanding by attempting to provide accurate information about ourselves, using non-technical terminology that is easily understood by the public.
