Didactic Program
Our didactic program was created with our residents’ diverse needs and learning styles in mind; we take a multifaceted approach to resident education through interactive lectures, board reviews, journal clubs, and mock oral exams. All residents have mandatory relief from clinical duties to attend didactics.
Interactive Lecture Series
Our didactic program takes the unique approach of separating resident lectures by year to tailor educational material to the specific needs of each class. The American Board of Anesthesiology (ABA) content outline is the guide for the didactic schedule; the CA-1 lectures focus on the Basic exam while the CA-2 and CA-3 content focuses on the Advanced exam. This creates a gradient of knowledge from basic to advanced while continually adding to the essential fund of knowledge that is critical for the practice of anesthesiology.
Board Review Sessions
To help residents gain proficiency with multiple choice examinations, we constructed board review sessions for our CA-1 and CA-3 residents that focus on topics relevant to the Basic and Advanced staged exams, respectively. These sessions allow residents to practice their standardized test-taking techniques and provide a faculty-moderated forum for discussion of correct and incorrect answers, allowing for growth of knowledge and understanding.
Journal Club
Once per month, all residents meet for a resident-led, faculty-moderated journal club discussion. This is an interactive session that allows for discussion related to new or important topics in the field of anesthesiology. Residents also discuss research and statistical constructs that are commonly tested on the board examinations.
Mock Oral Examinations
Each CA-3 resident will take a mock oral examination that is administered by a senior ABA oral board examiner and another faculty member. These sessions are an excellent opportunity to practice essential skills required for the ABA oral examinations that residents take after graduation.
Grand Rounds
Our Department hosts a weekly Grand Rounds presentation that features speakers from our Department, other leaders from within the hospital system, and nationally and internationally recognized experts on all areas of anesthesiology. This is also the forum for our Morbidity and Mortality (M&M) learning discussions.
Chairman’s Conference
Our chairman, Dr. Galvagno, leads conferences with the residents twice per month that focus on ABA keywords. These sessions are high-yield, resident-led discussions.
Visiting Professorship Lectures
The Department sponsors nationally and internationally renowned professors to visit our institution and give a two-day lecture series on their area of expertise.
Additionally, the Department hosts the annual Helrich and Matjasko Professorship Lecture. This lecture honors the previous chairs of our Department who made significant contributions to the growth of the specialty of anesthesiology.
Simulation and Ultrasound Curriculum
We have a robust simulation center where residents participate sessions that focus on task training as well as realistic multidisciplinary scenarios. Our faculty are specifically trained to teach simulation.
We also have a newly developed POCUS curriculum that takes advantage of simulation-based tools, as well as Butterfly ultrasound technology in the operating room (OR). Faculty who are content experts in anatomical, regional, and cardiac ultrasound train residents in the simulation center, the ORs, and intensive care units.
Learn more about the Maryland Anesthesiology Program in Simulation (MAPS)