Welcome to the University of Oklahoma Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine. We are thrilled that you are interested in learning about our residency program. I hope you find this page informative and that it provides answers to any questions that you may have.
Both American Board of Anesthesiology (ABA) and Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) approved, the University of Oklahoma offers twelve categorical positions each academic year. Over the four years, residents will perform anesthesia at five different locations: OU Health, Oklahoma Children’s Hospital at OU Health, the Surgery Center at OU Health, the VA Hospital, and Integris Baptist Medical Center.
Our residency begins with the highly-acclaimed PGY-1 year at Integris Baptist Medical Center (IBMC). Interns participate in rotations relevant to the scope of anesthesiology including intensive care, cardiology, pulmonology, and nephrology. Residents not only get the experience of private practice medicine, but also participate in numerous procedures including intubations, central lines, midlines, arterial lines, etc. Being the “House Officers” of the hospital, they are an integral part of the rapid assessments, inpatient stroke assessments, and code-blue teams. Interns will also complete several rotations at OUMC during that year including the preoperative assessment unit, general anesthesia, and perioperative anesthesia focusing on point of care ultrasound (PoCUS).
The next three clinical anesthesia years are focused on developing and building on your skills as a physician anesthesiologist. As the only level one trauma center in the state of Oklahoma, we experience a variety of cases made up of car crashes, gun shot wounds, stabbings, tornado injuries, farming accidents, and more. OU Health is currently a 804-bed facility with 32 operating rooms and 126 ICU beds. OU Health recently opened a state-of-the-art medical tower to meet the increasing demand as the only level 1 trauma center in the state, with full size ORs and ICU rooms with equipment to match.
Clinical rotations are designed to provide extensive exposure to all types of anesthesia. This includes multiple months in pediatric anesthesia, neuro-anesthesia, cardiac anesthesia, obstetric anesthesia, acute and chronic pain, critical care, and perioperative management. Most of our residents fulfill the ACGME minimum number requirements during their CA-2 year.
In addition to our clinical training, didactics are an important part of the residency program. These consist of protected two-hour blocks for lecture each week. Wednesday afternoons the CA-1s participate in Wednesday Education Block (WEB) and on Thursday afternoons the CA-2s and CA-3s attend Thursday Education Block (ThEB). The Department of Anesthesiology Grand Rounds occurs weekly on Friday mornings with delayed OR start times. Educational stipends are provided for each resident per year as well as a complement of physical and electronic textbooks and question banks. Educational conferences and board review courses are also available and incorporated into each resident’s schedule.
While we understand the necessity of hard work and study, the residency program also emphasizes the importance of adequate personal/family time. Oklahoma City is equal in distance from Los Angeles and New York with a metro population of more than 1.4 million. Will Rogers World Airport allows for easy transportation. The Oklahoma City Thunder Basketball, Oklahoma City Dodgers Minor League Baseball, and Oklahoma City Energy Football Club provide plenty of sports entertainment. The City also boasts a diverse food scene for those with a keen palate, with restaurants including Grey Sweater, by James Beard recipient Chef Andrew Black, and Nonesuch, “America’s Best New Restaurant'' ranked by Bon Appetit (2018). The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center campus is located near downtown Oklahoma City and is an easy distance to most of the popular surrounding neighborhoods.The culture of our residency is best described as "close-knit". The residents frequently enjoy social outings which range from brunch at Cafe Kacao following a call shift, to competitive pickleball matches at one of the many local courts, and even bringing our families together for an annual pool party at an attending's house.
Again, I hope this website is helpful in your quest to find the anesthesiology program that best suits you. If anything remains unclear, please feel free to contact me directly at my university email forrest-witt@ouhsc.edu . I wish you all the best of luck and hope to see you in the near future for an interview or rotation.
Best,
Forrest Witt, M.D.
Chief Resident 2024-2025