Program Overview
ACGME-defined core competencies and milestones will guide your education and evaluation. A didactic education series will supplement your clinical and research education. Your knowledge, judgment, skills, experience and leadership role will continually increase throughout your anesthesiologist residency education and training. As you progress through the program, you will exhibit progressive responsibility, decision-making and the performance of technical tasks leading to independent practice and a consultative role by the conclusion of your residency.
The clinical case mix and volume, along with our Geisinger faculty expertise and resources, will help you easily fulfill the case and procedural anesthesiologist residency requirements as set forth by the Residency Review Committee of the ACGME and the American Board of Anesthesiology. Last year Geisinger performed more than 60,000 surgical procedures and more than 1,500 obstetric deliveries. In addition, many anesthetics were administered outside of surgical suites. The case mix included the full spectrum of adult, pediatric and neonatal procedures, including pediatric cardiac procedures and adult liver transplantation.
Your clinical curriculum is structured to include rotations through all general and specialty areas of anesthesiology. There are a number of unique required rotations that will enhance your education, including regional anesthesia/acute pain medicine, performance/quality improvement, research, out-of-OR anesthesia, advanced airway management, echocardiography, and operating room management. You will have up to six months of elective time in your last (CA-3) year of training.
My experience at Geisinger has been both pleasant and gratifying. The overall atmosphere is unique because although we’re located in rural Pennsylvania, the variety of pathology and level of care is comparable to that of an urban hospital. In addition, the staff is supportive of learning and provides a high level of quality training.”
Departmental faculty and faculty from other medical and surgical specialties will provide your didactic education. At the start of your clinical anesthesia education (CA-1 year), you’ll have a six-week daily introductory lecture series by core faculty and senior residents. After that, your didactic sessions will take place on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 3 to 5 p.m. You will attend these sessions in addition to departmental sessions held on Wednesday mornings (grand rounds, mortality & morbidity conference) and the brief morning report sessions.
Afternoon sessions cover the following:
- A wide range of anesthesia-related topics
- Case presentations
- Practice written and oral board exams
- Simulation
- Journal club
- Quality improvement and research topics and presentations
- Practice management issues
You will attend joint conferences with residents from other specialties quarterly. You will also have a monthly group session with the department chair and/or residency program director to discuss important issues.
Quality and research education
As a graduation requirement, you’ll participate in quality improvement and research activities, present your scholarly work at local, regional or national meetings, or submit it for publication. You’ll be assigned to or choose a faculty mentor who will participate and guide you through these activities.
Additionally, we’ve established an anesthesiologist curriculum to educate you in quality and research methodologies. Resources within the department and throughout the organization are available to assist you and your faculty with scholarly activities. Geisinger's Henry Hood Center for Health Research opened in 2007 and conducts health services and epidemiologic and population genetics research in addressing problems such as obesity, autism, stroke, diabetes and hypertension. It complements the basic science research performed at the Siegfried and Janet Weis Center for Research and the Center for Clinical Studies.
Being a member of the anesthesiology family at Geisinger has provided me with ample support for my training. Geisinger provides exceptional exposure and a wide variety of cases, which allows for a very strong residency program. Being able to work with people who are passionate about their fields, enjoy teaching and provide a supportive learning environment has made my residency training at Geisinger both educational and enjoyable.”