What Makes Northwestern's Educational Experience Excellent?

The strength of Northwestern's Anesthesiology Residency Program lies in abundant and diverse clinical cases, motivated teaching faculty and unique educational opportunities that provide Northwestern residents with the foundation for successful careers in anesthesiology. Graduates of Northwestern's Anesthesiology Residency have obtained employment at major medical centers and renowned community hospitals across the country.

Abundant and Diverse Cases

Northwestern's anesthesiology residents identify that the most important aspect of their training is exposure to a large number and variety of clinical cases. Due to the high volume of cases at Northwestern and its affiliated hospitals, anesthesiology residents exceed the minimum number of board-required cases by orders of magnitude in almost all categories. Secondly, medical institutions recognize that daily intraoperative teaching is one of the most integral parts of residency education. To that end, Northwestern's intraoperative teaching is well-organized and facilitated by a high ratio of faculty members to residents and a structured subspecialty curriculum.

Structured Didactic Program

Dr. Stock (second from right) with residents

Northwestern's didactic program is structured to develop the necessary knowledge, judgment, and professionalism required of a board certified anesthesiologist. The primary teaching forum is Grand Rounds, which occurs weekly in the form of clinical case presentations, journal clubs, morbidity and mortality rounds, and presentations by nationally renowned visiting professors. Additional weekly didactic sessions include:

• Bi- weekly Chair-led Morning Report 
• Bi-weekly Integrated Simulator Teaching Sessions
• Weekly CA-1 Faculty-led Conference
• Monthly Mock Oral Sessions
• Written Board Review Sessions
• Monthly Senior Resident-led Presentations
• Daily Subspecialty Rotation Lectures

Educational Workshops & Seminars

The Department of Anesthesiology schedules several educational seminars each year to augment clinical and didactic teaching. For example, cadaveric dissections take place during the chrichothyrotomy practicum to teach surgical airway management and the ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia workshop to teach ultrasound physics and visualization techniques for peripheral nerve block anesthesia. In addition, the department provides a multidisciplinary creative airway workshop for all levels of residents and a practice management seminar to prepare our graduating residents for their future careers. The Department also organizes an anesthesia machine workshop for housestaff and faculty from Chicago and regional medical centers to attend.

Resident Scholarly Activities

Residents are encouraged to present research projects at national meetings of the American Society of Anesthesiologists, International Anesthesia Research Society, Midwest Anesthesia Residents Conference, and other subspecialty societies such as the Society for Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology, Society for Ambulatory Anesthesia, and American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine.

Faculty Dr. Laura Hemmer with resident Kimberly Kesner, who won "Best of Category" for case report, 2011 IARS

Oral and Written Exams

Periodic oral, practical, and written exams are administered to ensure appropriate progress in the residency program, so 100% of residents pass their Boards. The resident's mentor and selected faculty members meet with each resident throughout the year to discuss individual progress.