Clinical Rotations

The purpose of this first year of the program is to train the resident to become a proficient hospital physician in the broadest sense. This year may be fulfilled in various ways, such as a transitional program that includes multiple clinical rotations, a year of internal medicine, or a year in another clinical specialty program.

Northwestern's program offers medical students a unique clinical base year, planned as an integral part of the four-year continuum. It emphasizes experiences in internal medicine and critical care. Many residents find the opportunity to train continuously in a single program an attractive and convenient option.

The CA-1 resident year emphasizes the scientific and clinical principles necessary to function as an anesthesiologist. New CA-1 anesthesiology residents undergo a one-month orientation that includes a daily introductory lecture series and one-to-one attending supervision. The CA-1 year is organized into discrete block rotations to ensure that every resident is exposed to all major areas of expertise. These rotations include general surgery, urology, ENT, gynecology and orthopedic anesthesia in addition to preoperative assessment and recovery room. Residents will begin their subspecialty rotations after six to eight months of training.

The CA-2 year incorporates rotations in the subspecialties of anesthesiology, including pediatric, obstetric, cardiothoracic, regional and neurosurgical anesthesiology, as well as critical care and chronic pain medicine. Each clinical rotation is accompanied by an organized didactic program to ensure that residents become both clinically proficient and knowledgeable about the fundamentals of each subspecialty.

Because several subspecialty rotations are completed during the CA-1 year, CA-2 residents will complete some electives in advanced anesthesia rotations and/or CA-3 level rotations, such as trauma, vascular transplantation, acute pain and cardiothoracic critical care medicine. Residents can also elect to do research time.

Please note: Some CA-2 rotation will be completed during the CA-1 year.

The CA-3 year is designed to provide the resident with all the necessary exposure to develop into a perioperative physician and anesthesiology consultant, offering advanced training in transplantation/vascular, cardiothoracic critical care, acute pain medicine, as well as OR Management and non-operating room anesthesia. Over half of the residents decide to do one to two months of research.

Residents have the option of conducting research over a single month or a series of days spread over several months. The weekly research option provides a research experience that lasts for months rather than weeks.