Programs and Training

Fellowship Training (CA4)

A nationally recognized and ACGME accredited Fellowship in Pain Management is available through the Department of Anesthesiology and the University of Utah Pain Management Center. The Fellowship emphasizes an interdisciplinary approach to pain management, and includes participation by anesthesiologists and other medical specialists, Behavioral Medicine, Physical and Occupational Therapy, Pharmacy Practice and Nursing. All types of Chronic Pain are addressed: adult, pediatric, cancer and acute pain. Details of the Fellowship are available upon request.

Fellowship training in clinical and basic research is also available. The laboratory facilities of the Department of Anesthesiology and many other departments including the Division of Artificial Organs, Department of Pharmacology, and Division of Bioengineering are available to residents with an interest in research and/or academic anesthesia. Research is an integral part of this program, with strong encouragement for publication and presentation at national meetings. Research is funded by NIH Grants, Industry, other Governmental Grants, and Private Funding. General areas of research in basic science and the clinical anesthesia include: opioid anesthesia; CNS pharmacology; cardiovascular, respiratory and neurophysiologic changes associated with anesthesia; computers and instrumentation in anesthesiology and intensive care; cellular biochemical alterations associated with anesthesia; invasive monitoring, molecular theory of anesthesia; and methods and mechanisms of acute and chronic pain management.

Other fellowships, such as obstetrical anesthesia, neurosurgical anesthesia, and intraoperative echocardiography will be available to University of Utah graduating residents as requested and can be customized to fit individual educational goals.

Transesophageal Echocardiography

Transesophageal echocardiography is an important discipline at the University of Utah Medical Center.

In addition to providing clinical services in the operating room, cardiac anesthesiology faculty provide support to the intensive care unit and the Emergency Department.

Dr. Michael Cahalan, Professor and Chairman of the Department of Anesthesiology, is an internationally recognized researcher and lecturer in the field of echocardiography. In addition, the Division of Cardiovascular Anesthesiology is made up of faculty certified by the National Board of Echocardiography.

The clinical rotations at the University of Utah provide an extensive "hands on" experience with transesophageal echocardiography and a formal didactic program is in place to provide weekly lectures directed at successful completion of the American Society of Echocardiography certification examination.

Didactic Training in Anesthesiology

DIDACTIC TRAINING is provided by:

  1. Two weekly teaching conferences covering basic and clinical sciences related to anesthesia. Didactic sessions are lead by departmental faculty and arranged to cover the American Board of Anesthesiology subject outline, which is the basis for the written Board examination.
  2. In addition, case conferences are included on a regular basis.
  3. Supplemental educational curriculum, during each subspecialty rotation. (Pain Management, Pediatrics, Cardiothoracic, Obstetrical Anesthesia, and Neuroanesthesia).
  4. Journal Club - recent topics presented by residents and discussed by the staff and residents.
  5. An annual Postgraduate Course in Anesthesiology is held every February in Park City, Utah. This is a five-day meeting of national repute, and includes many internationally-known speakers and participants. Clinical schedules are modified to allow most residents and staff to attend.
  6. Special lectures by visiting professors.
  7. Attendance at quarterly scientific meetings of the Utah State Society of Anesthesiologists which provide information on recent developments in the field and on matters of medical ethics, economics and hospital relations.
  8. Department sponsored attendance at national anesthesiology meetings in the CA2 and CA3 years.
  9. Practice oral boards examinations are given each Spring to all residents to prepare them for Board Certification.
  10. Animal lab exercises in airway management and invasive cardiovascular monitoring.
  11. "Keywords" topics from the ABA subject outline are summarized in one page and available for resident study.
  12. Teaching tape files and CD ROM on Transesophageal Echocardiography (TEE).
  13. Senior residents prepare a presentation for fellow residents and faculty.

ABA/ASA In-Training Examination

Residents are expected to take the In-Training Examination of the American Board of Anesthesiology (ABA). Result of this examination provide the resident and the Program Director specific information concerning resident knowledge in all areas of anesthesiology. This examination is given every July. After a resident has completed 36 months of Clinical Anesthesia training, the In-Training Examination will serve as the written examination of the American Board of Anesthesiology.

A Successful Program

Our graduates are recognized as well trained in all aspects of clinical and academic anesthesiology.

Objective outcome measures support this observation. Our residents are typically one to two standard deviations above the mean (90%) on in-service and board examination scores and nearly 100% are successful with written and oral ABA examinations on their initial attempt. As a result, they compete favorably for professional positions with academic or community hospitals.

Current 3 Year Curriculum

CA1-2  Four Week
Blocks 

*General OR - University Hospital (UH) and
Veteran’s Administration Hospital (VA) 		  14
Cardiovascular Anesthesia (UH, VA)   2
Obstetrical Anesthesia (UH)   2 
Pain Management (UH)  1
Neurosurgical Anesthesia (UH)  1
Pediatric Anesthesia - (Primary Children’s
Hospital and Intermountain Shriners Hospital)		  2
ICU (Shock and Trauma Unit - LDS)  2
Surgical ICU - (UH)   1
TEE  1
Ambulatory Anesthesia   1
PACU/Regional Anesthesia/Acute Pain   1


CA3

Residents, in collaboration with the Program Director, choose one of two "tracks".

  1. Advanced Clinical Track: Care of most challenging clinical cases, with electives in a diverse range of fields, from international medical care to transesophageal echocardiography.
  2. Four months of elective time is allocated in the CA-3 year to focus or broaden the resident educational experience.

* Includes cases in General Surgery, Orthopedics, Gynecology, Ophthalmology, Plastic Surgery, Neurosurgery, ENT, Urology, Outpatient Surgery, Recovery Room Care, Pediatrics, and Regional Anesthesia.
 

The Application Process

Physicians or students who wish to be considered for a CA-1 residency position should apply through the Electronic Resident Application Service (ERAS), a service which transmits residency applications, letters of recommendation (3), Dean’s Letter, transcripts, USMLE Scores and other supporting credentials to residency programs using the internet.

All applications received are screened by a review committee, and selected applicants are invited for personal interview. This is a mandatory part of the application process, which benefits both the applicant and the Department. The University of Utah Department of Anesthesiology is a participant in the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP).

Information on Available Internships

Formal training within anesthesiology begins with the PGY-2 year. The Anesthesiology Department recognizes that many applicants wish to move only once, and therefore has agreements with preliminary internal medicine internships at the University of Utah, as well as transitional internships at LDS Hospital. These internships have a separate application process, but allow priority ranking of applicants identified with the anesthesiology residency.

The addresses and telephone numbers for information on these internships are as follows:

University of Utah Medical Center
Internal Medicine has 12 (preliminary) positions every July
Application: NRMP
Telephone Number: (801) 581-7899
Address:  Graduate Medical Education
University of Utah
School of Medicine
1C412
Salt Lake City, Utah 84132
 
LDS Hospital
Number of positions: 10 (Transitional)
Application: NRMP
Telephone Number: (801) 321-1077
Address:  Housestaff Office
LDS Hospital
8th Avenue and "C" Street
Salt Lake City, Utah 84143