Questions to ask anesthesia program directors...

[likeaboss]

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This is more a question for the senior people here who have been through the match and at least started residency...

I'm meeting with a program director for anesthesiology, so as a 4th year med student going into anesthesia, what questions should i ask to find out more about the residency program? Looking back is there something you wish you would have known / asked before ranking programs?

P.s. Thanks everyone, I really think the the anesthesia forum on SDN is amazing. In addition to being a great learning tool, everyone is extremely helpful...

 

[pgg]

Is there a SRNA program at the institution and to what degree does their training overlap with the residents' training. Ie, competition for procedures, cases.

Role of CRNAs. Are they there to break you out of that redo-TKA so you can go to the 3 PM academic conference, or are you there to break them out for their 3 PM quitting time?

Faculty : resident ratios. My home program was always 1:1 and it was great. Some out rotations at other institutions attendings were covering multiple rooms and ignored me. Sometimes this was nice, but you can learn a lot from an attending who has nothing to do except hang out with you. Assuming that attending wouldn't rather drink coffee.

You could ask about board pass rates and how they conduct their academics, if you're a didactic sort of learner. I'm a book learner and was more than happy that my program didn't inflict daily AM conferences on us. Others in my program wanted more didactics.

 

[likeaboss]

very good ideas, I'll make sure to ask these when I have my meeting. the program I am visiting now trains CRNAs, but i don't sense any major issues with residents having to break them or fighting over cases... everyone seems to get along.

 

[TeamZissou]

Appreciate the info as well.

pgg I literally lol at your avatar👍

 

[MilkmanAl]

very good ideas, I'll make sure to ask these when I have my meeting. the program I am visiting now trains CRNAs, but i don't sense any major issues with residents having to break them or fighting over cases... everyone seems to get along.

That's the ideal situation, seems to me. In a perfect world, the SRNAs and CRNAs would take all the boring blah cases that don't teach you much (once you're comfortable with that sort of thing on your own, of course) and also spell you whenever necessary. If a program is good about prioritizing resident education, having a SRNA program can be a huge benefit.

 

[Gern Blansten]

That's the ideal situation, seems to me. In a perfect world, the SRNAs and CRNAs would take all the boring blah cases that don't teach you much (once you're comfortable with that sort of thing on your own, of course) and also spell you whenever necessary. If a program is good about prioritizing resident education, having a SRNA program can be a huge benefit.

The problem is, they want the same cases you want. They have minimum requirements as well. You can't just stick them in the corner and expect them to be happy with that. They will push to get your cases. It is human nature.

 

[lakersbaby]

The problem is, they want the same cases you want. They have minimum requirements as well. You can't just stick them in the corner and expect them to be happy with that. They will push to get your cases. It is human nature.

Thats why i'd avoid USC like the plague. The chairman is just as loyal to CRNA/SRNA as they are to the residents. At least thats the feeling I got from being there.

 

[Mman]

This is more a question for the senior people here who have been through the match and at least started residency...

I'm meeting with a program director for anesthesiology, so as a 4th year med student going into anesthesia, what questions should i ask to find out more about the residency program? Looking back is there something you wish you would have known / asked before ranking programs?

P.s. Thanks everyone, I really think the the anesthesia forum on SDN is amazing. In addition to being a great learning tool, everyone is extremely helpful...

Ask them where their graduating residents go to when they are finished. What fellowships have they sent people to, what percent are working academic vs private jobs, and what exact cities are their grads working in?

Because the best guess to where you will end up when you finish is where the previous grads have ended up. If they all work someplace you would never want to work, you might want to avoid it. Once you graduate, it's all about the networking. Gotta see where their network leads to.

 

[scudrunner]

Anyone have any more suggestions? Maybe general interview questions, not just for PDs.

 

[gasblaster]

Anyone have any more suggestions? Maybe general interview questions, not just for PDs.

Other than the basic "what changes do you foresee" stuff, some questions I asked when I was interviewing:

-How CA1s are transitioned into the ORs
-Fulfilling/exceding/under case numbers
-Questions about your anesthesia interests
-Regional presence for cases
-TEE experience, basic certification, etc
-SICUs run by anesthesia trained intensivists
-Types of transplants done/not done at the hospital
-How fellows affect subspecialty exposure/experience
-Experience in more pp/ambulatory setting
-Opportunities in periop management (i.e. running the board)
-Opportunities with more of an attending-like role as CA-3
-How cRNAs are used (for basic, boring cases?)
-Mentorship program
-Research opportunities
-International opportunities
-ABA oral board examiners on staff for practice
-Written and oral board pass rates
-What do residents do after
-Fellowship matches
-Help connecting with alums for pp jobs

These are the ones off the top of my head. If I remember more, I'll add on.

 

[PonyUp]

Other than the basic "what changes do you foresee" stuff, some questions I asked when I was interviewing:

-How CA1s are transitioned into the ORs
-Fulfilling/exceding/under case numbers
-Questions about your anesthesia interests
-Regional presence for cases
-TEE experience, basic certification, etc
-SICUs run by anesthesia trained intensivists
-Types of transplants done/not done at the hospital
-How fellows affect subspecialty exposure/experience
-Experience in more pp/ambulatory setting
-Opportunities in periop management (i.e. running the board)
-Opportunities with more of an attending-like role as CA-3
-How cRNAs are used (for basic, boring cases?)
-Mentorship program
-Research opportunities
-International opportunities
-ABA oral board examiners on staff for practice
-Written and oral board pass rates
-What do residents do after
-Fellowship matches
-Help connecting with alums for pp jobs

These are the ones off the top of my head. If I remember more, I'll add on.

Thanks.

In your mind, are there taboo questions in that list or otherwise that we should ask residents rather than faculty?

Obviously asking about a typical week/go home time is something for the residents - but the program I'm headed to interview with on Tuesday has CRNAs listed on their faculty page and obviously they are utilized heavily at the hospitals I'd be training at...I'm not sure it'd be in good taste to ask how CRNAs affect resident training... Thoughts?

 

[gasblaster]

Thanks.

In your mind, are there taboo questions in that list or otherwise that we should ask residents rather than faculty?

Obviously asking about a typical week/go home time is something for the residents - but the program I'm headed to interview with on Tuesday has CRNAs listed on their faculty page and obviously they are utilized heavily at the hospitals I'd be training at...I'm not sure it'd be in good taste to ask how CRNAs affect resident training... Thoughts?

IMO, I think they are all legitimate questions to ask the faculty and PD. Usually the resident questions are, like you mentioned, about typical work hours, interaction with the faculty, responsiveness of the PD, interaction the surgeons/residents, etc

I think the cRNA question is definitely not taboo to ask attendings or the PD if your intention is to assess the educational value. For example, asking which cases are typically staffed by the cRNAs (ophtho, podiatry, etc), how the cases are allocated between residents, student cRNAs (if there is an affiliated school which is something to also ask), and cRNAs.

However, if it's more in terms of asking how cRNAs are used relieve residents from the OR for break or at the end of the day, then I would ask that of the residents.

 

[htideeyoko]

Is there a book you guys recommend to read to prepare for the interviews? What are the most common questions they tend to ask? Thanks!

 

[Random Anesthesiologist]

Thanks.

In your mind, are there taboo questions in that list or otherwise that we should ask residents rather than faculty?

Obviously asking about a typical week/go home time is something for the residents - but the program I'm headed to interview with on Tuesday has CRNAs listed on their faculty page and obviously they are utilized heavily at the hospitals I'd be training at...I'm not sure it'd be in good taste to ask how CRNAs affect resident training... Thoughts?

I have wondered this too. I think it's a legit topic to broach because, personally, I want to get the experience I need. But, since most of the programs I applied to either have CRNA training programs or use CRNAs extensively, I don't want to sound snotty when asking about it.

 

[RMortis]

CRNA question is very legitimate, I finished an away rotation at a big academic place...the CRNAs were there every year through every class of residents, they established themselves through contract negotiations every year so that they would get to select some percent of cases. In the one month I was there they did a liver/kideny transplant and a whipple while residents were doing preops.

 

[gasblaster]

Is there a book you guys recommend to read to prepare for the interviews? What are the most common questions they tend to ask? Thanks!

A book is not necessary. I found that most interviews were quite casual. I would just make sure you go over your application beforehand and make sure you are able to discuss activities, research, etc. Also, practicing responding to the usual questions can't hurt as long as you don't make it sound scripted. "Why anesthesia" seemed to be the most common question asked (or that might have been because my app showed I dabbled in another field early on before deciding on anesthesia).

 

[AngryBird69]

CRNA question is very legitimate, I finished an away rotation at a big academic place...the CRNAs were there every year through every class of residents, they established themselves through contract negotiations every year so that they would get to select some percent of cases. In the one month I was there they did a liver/kideny transplant and a whipple while residents were doing preops.

What about if said program is a known big time utilizer of CRNAs? Wont asking about it be kinda seen as trolling? Im thinking the PD will be thinking "well you know we use them extensively so why ask?"

 

[gasblaster]

What about if said program is a known big time utilizer of CRNAs? Wont asking about it be kinda seen as trolling? Im thinking the PD will be thinking "well you know we use them extensively so why ask?"

Well there's a difference between utilizing cRNAs as a workforce vs utilizing cRNAs and taking away from resident exposure/education.

For example, UPMC employs a ridiculous amount of cRNAs (one of the most if I remember correctly), however, that's because they have an inordinate amount of cases between there many hospitals and primarily use the cRNAs to cover the excess. When I interviewed there, in no way did it seem like they took away from the residents learning. Of course, there will be occasions not matter where you are (except the places that don't use them at all) when a cRNA has a more interesting case. But more often than not it's typically because things happened (rooms running late/early, cases get switched, etc). Rarely, is it intentionally done... and those are the programs you are looking for and trying to weed out. However, I don't remember coming across any that stood out while I was interviewing.