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- Resident [Any Field]
Interview season is well underway and I thought I would post some facts and opinions regarding my anesthesia residency program. I am currently a PGY 3 (CA-2) at Virginia Mason Medical Center (VMMC) and could not be happier.
Although VMMC is a private hospital, it has many of the advantages of a large academic medical center. VM anesthesia residents are encouraged to do research and practically every attending has at least one project available for immediate resident involvement. Thus far I have presented at WARC 2007 and even at a moderately sized 2007 ASA forum. Of note, many of my fellow residents at VMMC have been considerably more academically productive than I.
I respect every member of the VMMC anesthesia faculty tremendously. In fact, I believe the greatest strength of the anesthesia program is the quality of the attendings. They are all excited to teach and many do so in a way that makes the learning process thoroughly enjoyable. Evidence based medicine is meticulously practiced and the entire faculty is at least current in the literature, if not writing it.
Teaching takes place every day in the perioperative setting and more formally on Tuesday mornings at our M and M conference and on Friday mornings with our didactic lecture series. The tone during teaching sessions is generally informal and non-threatening.
VMMC Anesthesiology excels in academic excellence. As objective evidence for this, graduating classes generally rank in the upper 90th percentile on the in-service training examination. Not surprisingly, admission to the anesthesia program at VMMC is highly competitive.
The call schedule is quite reasonable; leaving ample time for reading and even a social life. I am averaging about 60-65 hours per week overall. Hours do vary according to rotation with the ICU services requiring 80 hours per week. The chief residents are responsible for assigning our call schedules and have given me all that I have requested over the 18 months I have been here.
Graduates of the program enter both private practice and academic medicine. The class that graduated June, 2007 had 6 out of 8 people choose fellowship training. This coming year's class is mostly still making their final decisions with one resident already securing a pain fellowship, while another two have committed to cardiac fellowships at Duke.
VMMC anesthesia residents are known for functioning well as a group, as this is an important part of the selection process. Anesthesia residents at this program are constantly looking for ways to assist each other. This behavior is expected and part of the culture.
Additionally, great camaraderie exists between residents and attendings, especially as the resident becomes more senior. Residents and attendings socialize more outside of work than at any other post graduate medical training program in any discipline of which I am aware, enjoying activities that range from flag-football to private air flight.
The most significant disadvantage of this program is easily the physical environment. Virginia Mason Medical Center is an older facility with small operating rooms and an archaic design. However, construction of all new operating rooms is soon to be underway.
The biggest advantages of this program include: a great learning environment, excellent reputation among anesthesiologists, fame in regional anesthesia, resident/resident camaraderie, resident/attending camaraderie, opportunity to do meaningful research, and location in a world class city.
I have no doubt I will be fully prepared to practice anesthesiology upon completion of my residency. Every day I am thankful to be at Virginia Mason Medical Center and I would definitely choose this program if I got to do it all again.
I welcome any questions or comments. Please do not hesitate in sending all inquiries to:
Lorenzo Hughes, MD
[email protected].
Although VMMC is a private hospital, it has many of the advantages of a large academic medical center. VM anesthesia residents are encouraged to do research and practically every attending has at least one project available for immediate resident involvement. Thus far I have presented at WARC 2007 and even at a moderately sized 2007 ASA forum. Of note, many of my fellow residents at VMMC have been considerably more academically productive than I.
I respect every member of the VMMC anesthesia faculty tremendously. In fact, I believe the greatest strength of the anesthesia program is the quality of the attendings. They are all excited to teach and many do so in a way that makes the learning process thoroughly enjoyable. Evidence based medicine is meticulously practiced and the entire faculty is at least current in the literature, if not writing it.
Teaching takes place every day in the perioperative setting and more formally on Tuesday mornings at our M and M conference and on Friday mornings with our didactic lecture series. The tone during teaching sessions is generally informal and non-threatening.
VMMC Anesthesiology excels in academic excellence. As objective evidence for this, graduating classes generally rank in the upper 90th percentile on the in-service training examination. Not surprisingly, admission to the anesthesia program at VMMC is highly competitive.
The call schedule is quite reasonable; leaving ample time for reading and even a social life. I am averaging about 60-65 hours per week overall. Hours do vary according to rotation with the ICU services requiring 80 hours per week. The chief residents are responsible for assigning our call schedules and have given me all that I have requested over the 18 months I have been here.
Graduates of the program enter both private practice and academic medicine. The class that graduated June, 2007 had 6 out of 8 people choose fellowship training. This coming year's class is mostly still making their final decisions with one resident already securing a pain fellowship, while another two have committed to cardiac fellowships at Duke.
VMMC anesthesia residents are known for functioning well as a group, as this is an important part of the selection process. Anesthesia residents at this program are constantly looking for ways to assist each other. This behavior is expected and part of the culture.
Additionally, great camaraderie exists between residents and attendings, especially as the resident becomes more senior. Residents and attendings socialize more outside of work than at any other post graduate medical training program in any discipline of which I am aware, enjoying activities that range from flag-football to private air flight.
The most significant disadvantage of this program is easily the physical environment. Virginia Mason Medical Center is an older facility with small operating rooms and an archaic design. However, construction of all new operating rooms is soon to be underway.
The biggest advantages of this program include: a great learning environment, excellent reputation among anesthesiologists, fame in regional anesthesia, resident/resident camaraderie, resident/attending camaraderie, opportunity to do meaningful research, and location in a world class city.
I have no doubt I will be fully prepared to practice anesthesiology upon completion of my residency. Every day I am thankful to be at Virginia Mason Medical Center and I would definitely choose this program if I got to do it all again.
I welcome any questions or comments. Please do not hesitate in sending all inquiries to:
Lorenzo Hughes, MD
[email protected].
