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About
Setting standards and leading innovation for the practice of anesthesiology since 1938
Meet ABA Director Mark T. Keegan, M.B., B.Ch.
“Anesthesiology deals with the continuum of people, providing an opportunity to interact with them at a very vulnerable time; this contributes to my passion for the specialty.”
Meet ABA Director Mark T. Keegan, M.B., B.Ch. Mark T. Keegan, M.B., B.Ch., is a professor of anesthesiology and full-time clinician who works as a consultant anesthesiologist and intensivist in the operating rooms and intensive care units at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. His research interests include using prognostic scoring systems in the intensive care unit and critical care of the liver transplant recipient. Read Dr. Keegan’s full bio here.
Why are you passionate about anesthesiology? Anesthesiology deals with the continuum of people, providing an opportunity to interact with them at a very vulnerable time in their lives and to help them perioperatively. That ability to interact with such a wide variety of patients contributes to my passion for the specialty.
What drew you to a subspecialty certification in critical care medicine? While in medical school, completing my surgical rotations, I was always drawn to what the anesthesiologist was doing. I trained in internal medicine in Ireland and was very interested in critical care when I had patients in the ICU. It was a natural evolution for me to train in critical care medicine, which has become the majority of my practice these days.
What is the biggest misconception surrounding anesthesiology There is a misconception that we solely work in the operating room, whereas, these days, anesthesiology encompasses a variety of non-operating room locations, whether that be the cardiac catheterization lab, GI endoscopy suite, ICU or Pain Clinic. We have been branching out of the operating room more and more in recent years.
What is the value of board certification, and what qualities set apart board-certified anesthesiologists? Board certification adds value for patients, colleagues, and the anesthesiologists themselves by recognizing the high bar they have achieved to become initially certified. Beyond achieving that initial level of expertise, continuing certification marks a desire to self-reflect, continuously improve and stay up to date with an ever-evolving specialty.
Why did you want to become a member of the ABA Board of Directors? My participation at the ABA has evolved over the years. I started as a volunteer critical care medicine question writer and then as a committee member. From there, I became more involved as an oral examiner for the APPLIED Exam. It was a great surprise when I was nominated to be a director, but I was very pleased.
What value has volunteering for the ABA brought you both personally and professionally? I have always enjoyed being involved with the assessments and derived great personal satisfaction through developing exam questions and maintaining the highest standard of anesthesiology. Through volunteering, I have met wonderful people from across the United States and have come to know the dedicated ABA staff.
What do you enjoy doing when you aren’t practicing anesthesiology? When I’m not practicing anesthesiology, I like doing mathematics, although not at a very high level. I was prompted by my children and realized that if I was going to assist them with their middle and high school math, I needed to brush up!
