The didactic program is large and diverse. A major focus is the Tuesday lecture series presented by anesthesia faculty, medical center faculty from all specialties, and guest speakers from around the country. This series is the broad and detailed foundation of a resident’s understanding of the science of anesthesiology. Our lecture series focuses on the Content Outline as distributed by the American Board of Anesthesiology and we work through it in a two-year rotating schedule.
Wednesdays bring Case Conference. After case presentations by residents, a faculty moderator leads a thorough discussion of the issues and ideas suggested by each of the cases. All faculty and residents participate in this "structured yet free form" interactive session. The residents have an opportunity to teach on Thursdays by leading Grand Rounds and Journal Clubs. Bi-monthly Research Conferences examining departmental research projects.
New to the Department this year are specific written goals and objectives for each resident rotation accompanied by a detailed curriculum. This allows residents to focus their study during each rotation and have a clear picture of the clinical issues to be covered.
The University of Kansas Medical Center provides a dynamic place for clinical anesthesiology training. We can pick from 12,000 cases per year for resident training. These cases are typical of a large urban medical center. Besides routine, basic surgical procedures, our highly specialized surgical colleagues challenge us with their advanced procedures. We perform anesthetics for all manner of procedures: cardiac surgery; organ transplantation; neurosurgery; high risk obstetrics; trauma, including burns; complicated orthopedics; pediatrics; plastics; urology; ophthalmologic; ENT; and radiologic procedures. Our residents are well versed in evaluation of these patients preoperatively and in their postoperative and recovery room care. Our acute and chronic pain management teams complete the training of superb perioperative physicians. Elective rotations in pediatrics and cardiac anesthesia at outside hospitals within the community provide a chance to access clinical experience and expertise in these areas.
How do we assess progress for each resident? Clinical progress is measured twice a week by attending faculty through use of a tailored evaluation form. It looks at all areas of clinical patient care activities. The Director of Residency Education collates these, and they are relayed to the residents by three member faculty evaluation teams to which residents are assigned at the beginning of their residency. We also use the Anesthesia Knowledge Test (three examinations during the first year) to help us gauge first-year resident progress. The In-Service Training Examination is a major focus to evaluate each resident’s longitudinal progress and to assess the educational mission of the department.
We believe that a resident must have the tools to develop professionally. We have a generous book purchase program to build a home library for each resident, and we provide four journal subscriptions. Of course, our departmental library is fully stocked!
The Department sponsors an annual Postgraduate Symposium. All speakers are national experts, and attendance is usually in the 350 range. Besides enhancing our didactics, it provides a chance to renew and refresh friendships with our alumni (job search potential?).
In addition to bringing in national experts to the Symposium and lecture schedules, we believe residents should be exposed to new and different ideas by attendance at a national meeting each year. We provide a generous stipend and a week of meeting time every year for this.
To focus on only the didactics and clinical experience would be to miss the essence of our program. We have a young, aggressive faculty, committed to providing an excellent atmosphere for learning, developing and questioning. We believe that residency can be fun as well as hard work, and by having fun together, we can make the hard work easier.
Anesthesiology residents will provide, consistent with their level of training and expertise, anesthesia for all types of patients within the goals and objectives of the anesthesiology curriculum under the supervision of faculty anesthesiologists. This shall include preoperative evaluation, creation of an anesthetic plan, implementation of the plan, management of emergence and postoperative pain control and postoperative visitation.
The resident will participate in out-of-KUMC rotations as scheduled by the Program Director or his designee. The resident will participate in rotations including Pain Clinic, Post-Anesthetic Care Unit, Critical Care Units, and Same Day Surgery Center as assigned by the Program Director or his designee. The resident will take call as scheduled by the Program Director or his designee.
The resident will participate in all academic conferences, lectures, and Grand Rounds as scheduled by the Program Director or his designee.
The resident shall perform all other duties and functions as necessary to complete the American Board of Anesthesiology Continuum of Education under the direction of the Program Director or his designee.
Resident Agreements are available for review on the KUMC School of Medicine Graduate Medical Education web site.
After completing the application process, selected applicants will be asked to come to the Department of Anesthesiology for an interview. Aid is available for this process. On arrival you will be met at the front office by our office staff and will meet with our chairman. Dr. Benson will be able to answer many of your questions about the department and Kansas City in general. You will also meet with several of the faculty on the selection committee and will have ample time to ask any questions you might have. We prefer to allow you to go to one of Kansas City’s fine restaurants with one or more of our residents for lunch, as we feel that this allows you the chance to ask questions freely and discuss topics you may not feel comfortable discussing with faculty. On your return you will be given a tour of the facilities, including our simulator room, new classroom, and residents library. Rest assured that we will do everything possible to make sure that your interview trip is enjoyable and informative. If you have any questions about the interview process call 913-588-6670.
Contact Phyllis Campbell, Residency Coordinator, 913-588-3304.