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Anesthesiology

Houston, Texas

Baylor College of Medicine's Department of Anesthesiology is located in the heart of the Texas Medical Center
Anesthesiology
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Didactic Experience

Clinical Lecture setting

The three-year clinical anesthesia program utilizes a didactic curriculum that leads to ABA eligibility. The didactic program consists of an intense lecture schedule during the first six months of CA-1 training, continued lectures throughout the CA-1 year and specialty specific lectures throughout the remainder of residency training. Residents' progress is evaluated throughout training through use of Anesthesia Knowledge Tests (at 0, 1, 6 and 18 months of training) as well as Mock Orals, yearly participation in the ABA exam (ITE) and patient simulator training.

Residents have access to a varied anesthesia caseload at the College's major teaching sites.

Faculty in the Department actively participate in didactic teaching, clinical supervision, and both basic science and clinical research. In addition, full-time research (Ph.D.) faculty participate in didactic instruction and laboratory supervision.

The program emphasizes the development of proficiency in the following:

  • Procedures to render patients safely insensible to pain during surgery
  • Optimization of vital organ function during anesthesia and surgery
  • Care of the patient unconscious from any cause
  • Anesthetic management of patients at the extremes of age and of mother and fetus
  • Evaluation and treatment of acute and chronic pain
  • Cardiac and respiratory resuscitation
  • Diagnosis and treatment of specific pulmonary problems
  • Management of fluid, electrolyte, acid-base, and metabolic disturbances

All CA-3 residents complete projects with a faculty mentor and present the results to the department at weekly departmental conferences.

Houston Center for Advanced Patient Stimulation

The Houston Center for Advanced Patient Simulation began in 1998. The use of high fidelity patient simulation is one of the most powerful teaching tools available. Each resident, during the first month of anesthesia training, spends three days learning at HCAPS. Our educational goal at HCAPS is to increase resident performance, confidence, and fund of knowledge.

During this initial course, interactive presentations are given regarding:

Patient Simulation Experience
  • Anesthesia machine function
  • Patient monitoring
  • Patient safety
  • Electrical safety and
  • Patient positioning

Patient simulations cover:

  • Pre-operative patient assessment
  • Induction
  • Maintenance
  • Emergence
  • Airway management skills
  • Basic emergency management
  • Crisis resource management

Residents return to HCAPS for three one-day sessions per year. These courses teach more advanced levels of crisis resource management, as well as advanced patient management skills and strategies.