Didactics

During their first month in July, CA-1 residents are excused from clinical duties every other afternoon to attend basic anesthesia lectures from expert faculty. These lectures range from the intricacies of the anesthesia machine and monitors to the pharmacology of anesthetic agents. 

Other highlights of the didactic program at UCSF include:

  • Anesthesia Education Days: residents are relieved from all clinical duties once a month to participate in a full day dedicated to a combination of didactics, problem-based learning, simulation, mindfulness, and mentoring.
  • Monthly Anesthesia Grand Rounds, where challenging cases are presented and discussed with the entire department
  • Monthly Mortality and Morbidity Conferences, focused on Quality Improvement issues, conducted separately at each major teaching hospital (UCSF Medical Center, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center, San Francisco VAMC
  • Journal Clubs
  • CA-1, CA-2, CA-3 anesthesia skills workshops
  • Subspecialty rotation-based lectures, including a daily lecture series for residents on critical care and obstetric anesthesia 
  • Comprehensive simulation training, starting in the first month of CA-1 year and continuing yearly afterwards. Curriculum includes Anesthesia Crisis Resource Management training. 
  • Written Board review course, consisting of multiple sessions taught by departmental faculty with special expertise in each topics
  • ITE review sessions lead by Anesthesia Fellows from all sub specialties. 
  • Mock Oral Board sessions