Welcome to the Residency Program Director's letter of introduction to the Anesthesiology Residency at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.
If you are visiting this website, you are most likely looking for a future in the specialty of Anesthesiology and the areas of sub-specialties associated with this exciting field. We would like to share a few thoughts about our program, the facilities and Oklahoma City.
Our residency program has the proud history as being part of the oldest independent academic department of Anesthesiology in the USA. In a publication from the Wood Library Museum this Department has been documented to have been started in the year 1930. Our program and Department
strongly endorses the fundamental values of belonging and inclusion for
which the University of Oklahoma has demonstrated leadership and steadfast
commitment.
Our program is a categorical 12 resident per year program which has an internship year at the nearby Integris Baptist Medical Center. As such our program is a mid sized residency which has favorable conditions both educationally and temporally. The internship is a unique "hands on" experience where the learner has the opportunity to directly work with attendings in a state of the art facility. The interns are regularly visited by the Program Director at meet and greet sessions. The rotations are constructed around the areas of medicine that help prepare the intern to become a very competent Anesthesiologist. During the intern year, three months are spent with the parent program for a month each of anesthesia in the ORs, the Preoperative Assessment unit and introduction course to POCUS. We have been complemented by a former site visitor that - "this is one of the best internship programs in the country".
Our clinical years are situated at the OU Health Sciences Center which is located close to the beautiful Oklahoma State Capitol and next to the vibrant redeveloped Bricktown District. The Health Sciences Center has seen a recent expansion of an extra-ordinary order with a National Cancer Institute designated comprehensive Cancer Center, a Surgery Center, the Oklahoma Transplant Center, an advanced 22,000+ sq. ft. Simulation Center and a new hospital Tower with 32 brand new operating rooms and state of the art medical facilities. Our campus has the only Level One Trauma center in the State of Oklahoma. There are separate facilities for adults, children & women services, as well as a large VA Hospital. These facilities generate significant clinical volume in all clinical areas and enables our residents to graduate from our residency program ready to 'hit the ground running'.
All in-house calls are restricted to 16 hours with the following day off. In 2012, we instituted a night float system, which has been well received by residents and faculty. We have a structured didactic lecture system that is built around the curriculum set by the ABA/ASA and our residents have protected mid-day time to attend these sessions. In addition all our residents spend time in the simulation center on regular academic days going through various scenarios specifically created for progressive learning. The department has strong association with basic science research done on the HSC campus and the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation. This gives us the ability for residents so inclined to plan to do a clinical scientist track in their CA 3 year. Every year our residents have multiple presentations at the national anesthesia meetings. Residents get an electronic textbook library second to none and are sent to one recognized review course in their PGY-4 year. In the PGY-2 and PGY-3 year, intensive review courses are held on campus before the ABA Part 1A and ITE Exams respectively. All residents are provided with the premier exam review system. In addition the Health Sciences Center's Bird Library has an excellent collection of electronic anesthesia textbooks and journals easily accessible by our residents. The department generously contributed towards all the exam fees incurred during residency. The residents are given authentic oral and OSCE exam based on the ABA practical exam model. Our intent is not only to train superb anesthesiologists but to imbue in them the responsibility of representation and leadership in our specialty's advocacy efforts through the Oklahoma Society of Anesthesiologists and the ASA. Currently, there are fellowships in both pediatrics and pain medicine, with plans for other fellowships.
The Residency Program we have here is exceptional because of our residents. We would like to add to this number with physicians who want to train to be outstanding anesthesiologists and leaders in our field. The night before interviews we hold a "meet and greet" for candidates to have the opportunity to meet our residents and their families so they have firsthand experience of the camaraderie of the program. The next day, interviews are conducted by Program Directors, Faculty, Chief Residents and Coordinators with the hope that you get to know more about our program. We hope to be able to virtually present to you our program with its rich heritage, incredible clinical experience, collegial atmosphere nestled in the safe affordable comfort of an eminently livable small city environment.
We look forward to receiving your application and hosting you for an interview.