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Why Choose The Western Pennsylvania Hospital for Your Anesthesiology Residency?
The Western Pennsylvania Hospital, chartered in 1848 as the first public hospital west of the Allegheny Mountains, has been continuously involved in graduate medical education since 1874. In affiliation with Temple University School of Medicine, the Hospital offers a full range of medical education opportunities, including a large number of residency and fellowship programs. At The Western Pennsylvania Hospital Clinical Campus of Temple University School of Medicine, the faculty of the Department of Anesthesiology has implemented a comprehensive program for the education of consultants in the field of perioperative medicine--physicians who practice anesthesiology at the leading edge of diagnostic and therapeutic technology. The success of the program is reflected by the careers of its most recent graduates. They have competed very successfully for prestigious fellowships at leading university medical centers in the nation. More than 95% of the graduates in the past 5 years have successfully completed the requirements for board certification in anesthesiology, passing both the written and oral examinations. Recent residents provided anesthesia for an average of 1650 patients, including an average of 70 undergoing cardiac surgical procedures, 65 undergoing thoracotomies, 50 undergoing major vascular cases, and 83 undergoing craniotomies by the time of completion of their training.
The ProgramWest Penn’s Residency Training in Anesthesiology Program provides a comprehensive educational experience at two major tertiary care hospitals in Pittsburgh: The Western Pennsylvania Hospital and Allegheny General Hospital, the two flagship hospitals of the West Penn Allegheny Health System. An enthusiastic faculty of 50 physicians with diverse clinical and educational backgrounds provides a rich educational experience and balance between didactic and clinical teaching. The program is fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education and consists of 3 years of Clinical Anesthesiology with subspecialty and/or research rotations. The program’s academic affiliation is with Temple University School of Medicine. The Western Pennsylvania Hospital is a 512-bed tertiary care hospital that includes the largest and busiest Burn Center in the region. More than 22,000 surgical procedures are performed each year at The Western Pennsylvania Hospital in an integrated surgical suite providing both inpatient and outpatient services. The surgical suite features 20 operating rooms, including special suites for cardiothoracic, bariatric, orthopedic, burn, and neurosurgery. West Penn Hospital was recently distinguished as a Bariatric Center of Excellence, having performed more than 1,000 bariatric surgical procedures. Anesthesia services also are provided in a number of departments throughout the hospital, including the Electrophysiology Laboratory and Radiology Department, where endovascular surgical procedures are leading technological advances in patient care. More than 2,500 obstetrical deliveries, including high-risk deliveries, are performed each year in the West Penn Hospital Obstetrics Department's 21 birthing rooms and 4 operating rooms. Allegheny General Hospital is a 778-bed academic tertiary care health center serving Pittsburgh by offering a wide array of medical and surgical services. These services include those of the hospital's Regional Level I Trauma Center and major organ Transplant Center, both located in the hospital. More than 26,000 surgical procedures are performed each year at Allegheny General Hospital. The surgical suite features 30 operating rooms, including special suites for neurosurgery (including surgical correction of movement disorders), orthopedic, trauma, and transplant surgery. There are separate outpatient surgical and obstetrical suites within the hospital. Nearly 1,000 obstetrical deliveries are performed there each year.
Continuum of Clinical EducationThe Western Pennsylvania Hospital's Anesthesiology Residency Training Program is fully accredited for 3 years of training by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. The continuum of education consists of a 3-year training program in Clinical Anesthesia (CA-1, CA-2 and CA-3). The Anesthesiology Department participates in the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) for entrance at the CA-1 year level of training. The residency program supports 8 positions at each level of training that provides residents eligibility to participate in the examination system of the American Board of Anesthesiology.
Clinical Base YearThe Resident in Anesthesiology must complete 12 months of accredited preliminary training in a clinical discipline other than anesthesiology. Acceptable training includes a transitional year, internal or emergency medicine, pediatrics, surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, neurology, family practice, or any combination of these as approved for the individual resident by the Program Director. Both West Penn Hospital and Allegheny General Hospital provide opportunities for prospective residents to do their Clinical Base Year (PGY-1) in the same institutions as their anesthesia residency, through a transitional year program, as well as through preliminary years in medicine and surgery, which are highly acceptable to this department for fulfilling the Clinical Base Year requirement. The Western Pennsylvania Hospital offers an Osteopathic Rotating Internship for graduates of osteopathic medical schools. Residents may also spend their PGY-1 at another accredited healthcare institution. The Clinical Base Year must be spent in residency programs in the United States that are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) or approved by the American Osteopathic Association. The PGY-1 also may be spent in Canadian institutions that are approved by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and are affiliated with medical schools approved by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education.
CA-1: Basic Anesthesia TrainingIn July of each year the Department of Anesthesiology conducts a series of tutorial sessions for residents beginning their first year of Clinical Anesthesia. Each new CA-1 resident is paired with a higher level resident who serves as the new resident's mentor during the first month of training. The first 3 months of the CA-1 year emphasize basic concepts and are devoted to fundamental aspects of anesthetic management. Each CA-1 resident is selectively assigned to cases designed to provide graded experiences of increasing difficulty that progressively challenge the resident's clinical performance in the provision of anesthesia for:
CA-2: Subspecialty Anesthesia TrainingThis level emphasizes the theoretical background, subject material, and clinical practice of the subspecialties of anesthesiology. Each resident is assigned to a series of rotations that guarantees adequate exposure at the consultant level of practice within the subspecialties of:
While a dedicated obstetrical anesthesia rotation takes place at West Penn Hospital, and a dedicated pediatric anesthesia rotation occurs at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, residents enhance their experience and care of both obstetric and pediatric patients as an on-going experience at both West Penn and Allegheny General Hospitals. A dedicated regional anesthesia rotation at Allegheny General Hospital provides experience in regional anesthetic techniques, in addition to on-going experience in regional anesthesia at both West Penn and Allegheny General Hospitals. Experience in caring for Level I trauma patients undergoing emergency surgery and/or airway management occurs on an ongoing basis. The Burn Center at West Penn Hospital is the region’s largest and busiest burn center, caring for patients referred to West Penn from the tri-state area of Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia. Similarly, the Trauma Center at Allegheny General Hospital cares for patients in the region who experience penetrating and blunt force trauma. Anesthesiology residents also gain experience at Allegheny General Hospital with the specific anesthetic techniques used to manage the care of patients undergoing major organ transplantation, including heart, liver, and kidney.
CA-3The CA-3 year consists of one of two distinct tracks that the resident selects between, in collaboration with the Director or Associate Director of the Program. These tracks are designated the Advanced Clinical Track and the Clinical Scientist Track. Advanced Clinical Track Clinical Scientist Track One faculty member has published a textbook on “Anesthesia for the Cardiac Patient”, and he and others have contributed original research, book chapters, and presentations at national and international scientific meetings, creating a scholarly environment for the resident in training.
Didactic ProgramA comprehensive core curriculum has been implemented for the didactic education of residents at all levels. Teaching conferences are conducted daily and the departmental computer center was recently upgraded to support clinical and didactic education. The formal didactic program begins in September of each year and runs through the first part of June. Scheduled conferences are held every week-day morning. The format of these conferences includes basic science lectures, problem-based learning discussions, key-word review, and written board question and mock oral board question reviews. Monthly Journal Clubs, a Guest Lecture Series, resident research projects, and attendance at local and national conferences all complement the daily conference program. An important feature of this program is the inclusion of Associate Examiners for the American Board of Anesthesiology (ABA) on the faculty, who in addition to being current oral board examiners, participate in the preparation of the two major certification exams. Dr Troianos is on the ABA’s Oral Exam Writing Committee, and Dr Richard Stypula is an editor for the ABA’s written exam. These faculty and others conduct practice oral examinations in group and individual settings throughout the continuum of training. The Department of Anesthesiology also sponsors major regional anesthesia conferences that have attained national recognition by attracting anesthesiologists, residents, and CRNAs from across the country. Plans are also underway to sponsor a regional transesophageal echocardiography meeting in Pittsburgh beginning in 2007.
Intraoperative Echocardiography TeachingThe anesthesiology departments at both West Penn and Allegheny General have a strong focus on intraoperative echocardiography (IOE). Faculty who perform IOE and teach anesthesiology residents are testamurs of the Perioperative Transesophageal Echocardiography Examination or are board-certified by the National Board of Echocardiography. The IOE service is provided exclusively by anesthesiologists at both West Penn and Allegheny General hospitals. Faculty members have participated in preparing the national written examination for perioperative transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) and regularly give lectures at national and international meetings on the subject of intraoperative echocardiography.
Visiting Professorship ProgramThe Department of Anesthesiology invites distinguished teachers and investigators from around the world and throughout the year to present lectures, direct journal clubs, and to participate in clinical instruction in the operating rooms, as an integral part of the educational program. The department also integrates teaching by physicians from other specialties that impact anesthesiology during Grand Rounds to provide the residents with a comprehensive understanding of the topic at hand.
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