Curriculum

“Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterwards.”

This Vernon Sanders Law is often dreaded by beginning residents who in too many programs find experience to be the teacher, rather than good academic and clinical instruction. To prevent this from being the case, our well-designed curriculum and dedicated faculty provide the early resident the tools, instruction, and back-up resources to make those first days on call minimally stressful. However, it is also said in many, many ways that “Experience is the best teacher.” Due to the phenomenal availability of cases for the anesthesiology residents in Wichita* you can and will have it both ways. You will quickly learn the science and art of anesthesia, but will reinforce this learning in the OR through an extensive clinical experience.

*As Wichita residents only do about 20% of cases in our teaching hospitals, they have a wide selection of cases from which to gain experience. Wichita anesthesiology residents do no need to cover the whole schedule, thereby finding themselves saddled with simple, repetitive cases. Though such cases do have significant learning value when a mentor is present, more complex cases expose the resident to more variations in anesthetic practice. In Wichita, you will generally be able to choose increasingly complex cases as you progress in your learning.

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The Anesthesiology Residency Program at the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita is approved for Clinical Base Year (PGY-1) positions. The Clinical Base Year will consist of a total of 12 months 10 of which must be taken in the PGY-1 year, with the remaining rotations in the PGY-2 year. This division of the CBY allows the PGY-1 resident to experience 3 months of anesthesiology training early in training. The majority of the CBY rotations will occur in the Department of Internal Medicine at the KU School of Medicine-Wichita utilizing Via Christi Regional Medical Center, Wesley Medical Center, and Wichita Veteran's Administration Hospital. The residents will be responsible to Garold Minns, MD, Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Alex Ammar, MD, Professory and Chair, Department of Surgery, and ultimately responsible to Robert McKay, MD, Chair, Department of Anesthesiology.

Clinical Assignments Include:

1 month of Pulmonary Medicine
2 months of Cardiology
3 months of General Medicine
1 month of Nephrology
1 month of Critical Care
1 month of General Surgery
1 month of Anesthesiology

Electives Available:

Each Resident will take 2 months of Elective Rotations in their PGY-2 year from among the following (must take 2 different elective):

Emergency Medicine
Family Practice
Nephrology
Neurology
Obstetric and Gynecology
Pediatrics

During the residents clinical base year, anesthesiology residents will perform histories and physicals, discharge planning, patient management, and provide first contacts for patient care and fulfill on-call duties. These activities and duties will be exactly the same as other residents in the primary department (e.g., Internal Medicine Department, Surgery Department, etc.).

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CA-1 residents learn techniques of airway management and general anesthesia for both adults and pediatric patients. The year includes rotations at inpatient and outpatient facilities. In addition, as the residents achieve basic competencies, they are introduced to regional anesthesia and cardiothoracic anesthesia. Each CA-1 resident also has a 2-week rotation in the Post Anesthesia Care Unit where they manage perioperative complications of anesthesia.Under the guidance of a research scientist, CA-1 residents will plan and initiate a research project during the first part of their year. Two months of CA-1 anesthesiology rotations will be taken during the PGY-1 year.

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CA-2 residents concentrate on subspecialty rotations with 2 months of cardiothoracic anesthesia and obstetric anesthesia and 1-month rotations in regional anesthesia, pain medicine, pediatric anesthesia, neuroanesthesia, adult critical care medicine and pediatric critical care medicine. To maintain their general OR skills, each resident will also do 2 months of complex general anesthesia in their CA-2 year. Residents completing the CA-2 year of anesthesia are expected to feel comfortable in all forms of general and regional anesthesia.

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CA-3 residents all rotate through a 6-month experience in advanced clinical anesthesia with rotations in CV anesthesia, regional anesthesia, obstetric anesthesia, pediatric anesthesia, critical care medicine, and OR management. Each resident will choose between a research tract (6 months of clinical research) and an advanced clinical tract in which they may choose from 1 to 3 areas of further specialization. Subspecialty tracts are offered in cardiovascular anesthesia, thoracic anesthesia, obstetric anesthesia, regional anesthesia, pediatric anesthesia (in conjunction with Denver Children’s Hospital), critical care medicine, and pain medicine.

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Wherever you obtain your anesthesiology residency position, keep in mind the following quote by Aldous Huxley:

“Experience is not what happens to you; it is what you do with what happens to you.”