Academic Program

A strength of the Wichita Anesthesiology Program is its diverse faculty and large clinical experience. Anesthesiologists use a variety of anesthesia techniques according to the patients medical condition, the patient’s desires and anesthesiologist’s training, experience and expertise. The residents will learn numerous techniques for clinical anesthesiology while in the operative suite. They will learn to address clinical problems quickly and skillfully. Early in their training, residents will have 1 on 1 instruction, but as the resident learns, he/she will be given greater independence and 1 faculty member may supervise two residents. At know time will the faculty supervise more than 2 residents.

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For anesthesia theory, pharmacology, physiology and mechanisms of disease, didactic instruction can be most effective. The anesthesiology didactic curriculum is multifaceted. The first portion of the curriculum consists of faculty lectures based on the content outline of the Joint Council on In-Training Examinations of the American Board of Anesthesiology and the American Society of Anesthesiologists. This newly revised outline encompasses the breadth of knowledge and skills expected of consultant anesthesiologists. The content forms the basis of two 14-month didactic cycles that run over the course of a three year residency as follows:

Cycle 1:
Year 1 Mid-August through May
Year 2 September through Mid-January

Cycle 2:
Year 2 Mid-January through May
Year 3 Mid-August through Dec

Knowledge critical to anesthesiology will be repeated in each cycle.

The second portion of the curriculum is based on lectures over assigned readings that emphasize the preoperative preparation of the patient, intraoperative management and postoperative care. Both residents and faculty will lecture on the assigned topics.

Faculty didactic lectures occur 2 to 3 days each week

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The anesthesiology department uses learning modules in assessing certain competencies. These modules are made available to the residents via the web and are to be completed before certain benchmark times, generally before starting a rotation for which the information in the module is requisite. For example, airway and substance abuse modules are used at the beginning of the program to address these important areas.

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Each Wednesday morning, residents on certain rotations attend preoperative teaching rounds which perform problem-based learning for upcoming / interesting cases.

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Journal club meets monthly at faculty homes or area restaurants. Journal club focuses on education in research design, statistics and research writing, as well as practice-based learning and improvement. Articles are generally selected from current literature in anesthesiology and critical care and are discussed in-depth by faculty and residents. Each month, a primary article is discussed in detail, with a review of other pertinent literature.

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These monthly meetings rotate between Via Christi-Saint Francis and Wesley. Each month, residents present cases of morbidity and mortality for critique and discussion. These conferences are well-attended by faculty and prized by the residents.

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Once or twice monthly, a mock oral examination is given by faculty members to a chosen resident. Some of the examinations will be attended by all residents and some will be videotaped for later review by the residents. After the examination is completed, the resident’s performance is critiqued in a constructive fashion. The oral board serves to help prepare the resident for the oral portion of the certification examination, but also serves to illustrate areas of weakness in the program’s educational curriculum so that the curriculum can be adjusted.

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CA-1 residents attend extra brief didactic sessions given by more senior residents under faculty guidance. These lectures are designed to better prepare the beginning resident for more difficult situations.

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This conference is designed for the residents to promote their own self-study, under the direction and assistance of the chief resident. Once monthly, the chief resident conference may hold the traditional fluid rounds at a local establishment.

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Each resident has access to large libraries and the Internet at both Via Christi and Wesley Medical Centers. In addition, an up-dated comprehensive anesthesiology library is kept at the residency offices at Via Christi. Residents are given a yearly educational allowance through the department and are encourage to purchase certain textbooks and journals of anesthesiology.

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In addition to the use of educational modules, residents will be assessed by written tests of recent didactic material and/or reading assignments.

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All residents will be expected to develop a written detailed plan for studying. This plan will form a part of a portfolio kept to track the resident’s progress. Each resident is expected to be self-motivated to independent study, including reading about upcoming cases.