Clinical Rotations

Basic anesthesia training consists of diverse assignments under close faculty supervision. The program begins with four weeks of introductory seminars, teaching the fundamentals of anesthetic care. Residents are introduced to the operating room during this period and are gradually given responsibility and independence as the skills develop. Expected skills and development criteria include formulation of a directed patient history and physical examination, plan of anesthetic management, understanding of breathing systems, monitoring, concepts of intravenous fluid management, airway management, pharmacology, and electrical safety.

Subspecialty anesthesia training emphasizes the disciplines of ambulatory, cardiothoracic, neurosurgery, trauma surgery, critical care, obstetrics, pediatrics and acute and chronic pain management. The initial exposure to these specialties is in the CA-1 and CA-2 years. Cardiothoracic, neurosurgery, obstetrics, and pediatrics have compulsory one-month preliminary rotations during this time. Two months of critical care experience includes active involvement in the care of surgical patients with multi-system disease.

Advanced anesthesia training. The ABA recognizes two types of experience, the advanced clinical track and the clinical scientist track. The majority of residents utilize the advanced clinical track. During this time, residents are assigned, in three-month blocks, to subspecialties of cardiothoracic, neurosurgery, obstetrics, and pediatrics. Residents gain advanced experience in the care of seriously ill patients and complex procedures. The clinical scientist track offers a minimum of six months experience devoted to laboratory or clinical investigation. Residents who choose this track plan the program in advance with a faculty mentor and the Chair. Specific goals and objectives are agreed upon prospectively.

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