Residents begin anesthesiology training at the start of their second year. The UCI College of Medicine has established agreements which enable anesthesiology residents to conduct their first year of training with either the Department of Surgery or the Department of Medicine should this be their desire. During their three years of clinical anesthesia training, residents at UCI are exposed to a curriculum that increases in difficulty and is designed to progressively challenge their intellectual and technical skills. The program includes training in basic, subspecialty and advanced anesthesia, with optional involvement in research. To ensure a well-balanced program of resident training, the Department of Anesthesiology has recruited academic faculty with highly diversified educational backgrounds, training and expertise in the various subspecialties of anesthesiology.
Residents meet monthly with their assigned faculty advisor for a progress review.
Biannual written and oral examinations also help residents assess their progress and assess their areas of strength and weakness. The first two weeks of Anesthesiology Residency Training is devoid of clinical duties. New residents learn by mentoring or role modeling as they observe faculty and senior residents in the operating room. The new residents are instructed on the use of various resources, ie, internet, classic texts, journals and interactive software to solve basic problems. The remainder of the orientation month is spent paired with faculty or senior residents and are relieved for additional case based discussions and workshops.