The Unit

[sikboy]

I'm a Transitional intern doing anesthesia next year. For some reason this year I was not scheduled for any unit blocks. I'm wondering if this will be a problem during residency, particularly when I do my unit blocks. Typically, what's the role of anesthesia residents in the unit? Do they function as upper level residents, or more like IM interns?

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[usnavdoc]

I'm a Transitional intern doing anesthesia next year. For some reason this year I was not scheduled for any unit blocks. I'm wondering if this will be a problem during residency, particularly when I do my unit blocks. Typically, what's the role of anesthesia residents in the unit? Do they function as upper level residents, or more like IM interns?

I dont start my CA1 year until july but we dont do our required unit months until CA2 and it will be to function as an upper level resident. I guess it is all dependant on your program and exactly what the RRC mandates, which i honestly dont really know how it is worded. As a side note I did my internship in 01-02(had a Navy obligation to pay off) so my unit months were long ago and Im not that worried about it, I wouldnt let it bother you.

Id be curious as to how its worded from the RRC and if there are any people that have insight into the coming changes and how that would affect us getting started next year.

 

[Skrubz]

depends on your program and how your unit(s) are set up. at the palo alto VA, there's a combined med-surg ICU with an ICU fellow, 3 residents (1 med, 1 surg, 1 anesthesia) and 3 medicine interns. over at stanford, there are 3 different unit teams - MICU, SICU and CVICU. MICU has an ICU fellow and 3 residents (1 med, 2 anesthesia) who act as interns. CVICU is basically 1 anesthesia attending and 1 anesthesia resident with help from the cardiac anesthesia fellows. don't know how the SICU works.

the unit is much more intense and things (and patients) can go sour in the blink of an eye. as long as you're not doing the unit early on in your CA-1 year, you should probably be ok. there are usually a decent number of procedures but the rounding (and pre-rounding) can be very, very painful.