First Year (CA-1)
The first year of clinical anesthesia begins with both clinical and didactic training. During the first month, residents spend two weeks each with two faculty tutors for a full month of one-to-one tutoring. Daily seminars during the first two months familiarize the trainee with the basics of anesthesia and critical care. Rotations during the first year are more basic than those later in training so that residents gain skills with a variety of patients and cases. The duration of most subspecialty rotations is one month, with extensive time spent on general cases. Typical monthly rotations include the following:
- Tutorial (July)
- Orthopedics
- ENT
- Post-anesthesia care unit/airway
- Pain Service
- Obstetrics
- Urology/transplant
- General OR
- Vacation
Second Year (CA-2)
During the second year of clinical training, residents take on more complex cases and greater responsibility. Residents may have cases apart from formal rotations to learn special techniques. The large number of highly complex cases at the University of Chicago helps residents build flexibility and broaden their training experiences. Rotations focusing on obstetrics or neuroanesthesia take place at NorthShore Hospital which has a different practice environment and case mix. CA-2 residents also teach medical students under faculty supervision. This year is a time to increase and master skills and to consider the subspecialty areas to pursue during the CA-3 year and thereafter. Typical monthly rotations include the following:
- Pain Service
- Cardiac Surgical ICU
- Burn Unit
- Thoracic/Vascular
- Neuroanesthesia
- Pediatrics
- Cardiac
- Transplant/Urology
- General OR
- Anesthesia perioperative medicine
- Vacation
Third Year (CA-3)
The CA-3 year is almost exclusively elective. Many CA-3 residents choose the advanced clinical track and direction for independent study about the preoperative management of patients undergoing complex surgical procedures. Another emphasis is critical thinking and leadership skills necessary to function as a consultant in anesthesiology. The resident has gradually increasing independence and takes on a variety of cases to practice different anesthesia techniques. For example, the rotation in pediatric cardiac anesthesia offers multidisciplinary teaching rounds and time in the OR during interventional cardiac catheterization cases. There is a two-month rotation at our affiliate, NorthShore University. As a CA-3 at NorthShore, the resident experiences a busy, private practice environment. Research opportunities are available during all years of residency. If a resident is interested in a specific topic, protected research time with faculty mentorship is granted for 2-3 months during the CA-3 year. For more information on research topics, please see our research page.