Knowledge and Perception of Anaesthesia and Anaesthesiologists Among Medical Students in a Tertiary Institution in Nigeria: A cross-sectional Study

Background: Anesthesiology often remains unfamiliar to many medical students, and the responsibilities of anesthesiologists are not widely comprehended by the students. The aim of this study is to determine the knowledge and perception of Nigerian medical students about Anaesthesiology as a specialty, assess their understanding of the roles of anaesthesiologists, as well as their overall perception of anaesthesiology as a career choice. Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study of 250 undergraduate medical students from the University of Ilorin, Kwara state, who completed a structured online questionnaire. Descriptive statistics summarized responses, and associations between variables were tested using the Chi-square statistic, with significance set at p < 0.05. Results: 91.2% of participants have some knowledge of anaesthesia. 97.6% of participants identified anaesthesiologists as the professionals primarily responsible for administering anaesthesia during surgery. 72.4% of participants agreed that anaesthesiologists are actively involved in perioperative care. However, only 48.0% rated the specialty as highly or moderately visible compared with others. Career interest was moderate to high, with 58.8% considering anaesthesiology as a career option, 27.6% undecided, and 13.6% uninterested. Significant associations were observed between knowledge level and both academic year (χ² = 49.66, p < 0.001) and age group (χ² = 27.42, p < 0.001). Conclusion: The study revealed that most medical students possessed a sound understanding of the anesthesiologist’s key roles. While overall perceptions are favorable, exposure to the field remains a key determinant of knowledge and career interest. 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