Didactics

Didactic instruction encompasses clinical anesthesiology and basic science education, as well as other pertinent topics from other medical and surgical disciplines. Included in the didactic curriculum are talks on chemical dependence, practice management, and operating room management.

In addition, residents will actively participate in:

  • Grand Rounds
  • Morbidity & Mortality
  • Quality & Safety
  • Journal clubs
  • Research conferences
  • Problem-case learning discussions
  • Didactic conferences including Practice Management

All residents are expected to attend professional regional and national conferences; including the Midwest Anesthesia Resident Conference (MARC) in their CA-1 year, and the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) or a national subspeciality meeting in either their CA-2 or CA-3 years.

An outline of the current didactic program follows:

  • Orientation Program Incoming CA-1 residents attend an intensive one-month orientation program in preparation for direct patient care. During this month, CA-1 residents spend mornings in the operating rooms with senior residents (in an observership mode) and learn about anesthesia paperwork, machine check-up and calibration, proper room set-up, and general flow of anesthesia work. In the afternoons, CA-1 residents are in a classroom attending introductory lectures by faculty. CA-1 residents will take an AKT (Anesthesia Knowledge Test) pre-test and a post-test in July.
  • Grand Rounds - presentation by senior residents, faculty and visiting professors.
  • Mortality and Morbidity - presentations by residents and faculty.
  • Anesthesia Lecture Series Held weekly from August through June, this lecture series is usually conducted by a member of the anesthesia faculty or may be preempted from a lecture by a visiting professor. These conferences discuss the entire spectrum of anesthetic practice. Basic science and clinical anesthesia material will be presented.
  • Practice-based Learning Discussion A member of the faculty presents a case scenario, then directs residents in the critical decision-making processes.
  • Journal Club - Held quarterly with participation of residents and faculty.
  • Saturday Education Sessions Occasionally residents are given an assignment, which may include the following: ABA-ASA In-Training Examination, ACLS course, ATLS course, a Difficult Airway Symposium, Anatomy/Regional Anesthesia course, Transesophageal Echocardiography course, a Board Review Course, or Mock Oral Presentations.
  • In addition, all anesthesia residents receive comprehensive research training including WSU IRB (Wayne State University Institutional Review Board) research training, HIPAA training and guidance, and basic research practices (literature search guidance, statistical consultation, and protocol/research review) at resident orientation from the Anesthesia Research Office (ARO) located within the Department of Anesthesiology. Effective December 16, 2004, all anesthesia residents are required to complete a prospective or retrospective research study, which must include data collection and analysis. It is expected that residents present their research and its findings at a regional or national conference during their residency.
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Department of Anesthesiology