I feel like each successive year in my training is more difficult but more rewarding. 2014 was the year I completed my intern training and proceeded to start clinical anesthesia. With six months of anesthesiology under my belt, I’ve transitioned from the timid novice to a more experienced CA-1 capable of taking on the most challenging adult anesthetics. Hope everyone had a wonderful start to the new year! 🙂
I’m starting this year on a dedicated “airway rotation” where residents are exposed to the vast array of airway toys anesthesiologists have at their disposal. Video laryngoscopes, optical stylets, intubating LMAs, and fiberoptic modalities are some of the techniques we’ll master. And as a shameless plug for our program… we’re one of the few programs that offers TWO months of difficult airway training. 😉
While the physiology and pharmacology of anesthesiology affect the entire body, I want to utilize this month to learn absolutely everything about the airway. How to perform a proper airway exam, predictors of difficult ventilation and intubation, utilizing advanced airway equipment to facilitate intubation, mastering the airway from an anatomy standpoint, and hopefully performing even more advanced techniques in the simulation lab (emergent cricothyroidotomies, retrograde intubations, needle jet ventilation, etc). Should be a great month leading up to our in-training exam (ITE) in February.
Now it’s time for me to enjoy the rainy and cold Houston weather. Bleh.
