Residency Program About Our Program Application Process Clinical Rotations Curriculum Frequently Asked Questions Global Outreach Initiative Innovative Anesthesiology-Critical Care Education Program Our Residents Residency Program Director Message Resident Life Curriculum Anesthesiology & Perioperative Care Residency Program Home About Campus & Community Resources Communications & Public Relations Office Anesthesiology & Perioperative Care: Education & Training > Residency Program > Curriculum 4U Didactic Program Our “4U” Didactic Program provides residents with a highly structured curriculum that includes fundamental knowledge and experiences to prepare them for independent practice by their final year of residency. Overview Every four weeks, residents are given a dedicated "4U" education day, free from clinical duties, to focus on diverse learning activities. This protected time supplements daily intraoperative and clinical rotation-specific teaching and often aligns with patient care. Residents have the opportunity to evaluate each educational session, providing valuable feedback on the effectiveness of teaching and their learning needs. Residents are directly involved in continuous improvement of their education and serve an active role on the Program Evaluation Committee to support the program’s annual goals and quality improvement projects. Educational sessions are led by expert faculty from a variety of subspecialties. The curriculum is guided by the contents of the American Board of Anesthesiology (ABA), ACGME training requirements, program milestones and program evaluations. We prioritize diverse modalities over traditional lectures, tailoring sessions to the needs of each residency class to help prepare residents for the ABA Staged Exams. Didactic Session Includes Each didactic session includes: Case conferences Topic-based lectures Written Board review Oral Board review Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) review Problem-Based Learning discussions Journal reviews Keyword discussions Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) Simulation sessions Clinical workshops Included Specialty Topics In addition, the following specialty topics are included throughout the training program: Airway Management Series Quality and patient safety Leadership and diversity Advocacy Professional Development Series Fundamental Clinical Skills of Education (PGY-1) Areas of focus include anatomy, monitors, equipment, physiology, pharmacology and pathophysiology of disease states related to anesthesia. There will be case discussions that integrate basic knowledge into a clinical context, aiming to make learning engaging and interactive. Incorporating a structured learning program in the PGY-1 year also allows residents to bond with fellow residents and faculty at the beginning of their residency. Clinical Anesthesia Years (CA-1, CA-2, CA-3) During the clinical anesthesia years, each session is devoted to a specific specialty and is tailored to the class level. CA-1 sessions focus on the foundations of anesthesia and perioperative care and on building knowledge in preparation for the basic examination component of the ABA Staged Exam. CA-2 sessions focus on advanced topics of perioperative care and the subspecialties, while CA-3 sessions focus on the transition to independent practice while tailoring content towards advanced examinations and preparation for the OSCE. Educational Opportunities for PGY1s and CAs Grand Rounds Our grand rounds presentations contain vetted quality lectures covering a wide spectrum of topics, including clinical, leadership and research expertise. Grand round lectures are presented by department faculty, residents, fellows, UC Irvine School of Medicine faculty and experts from our Visiting Professor Program. The visiting professors give interactive lectures to residents the day before grand rounds and allow for an opportunity for residents to gain further education and network for future career plans. Anesthesia Clinical Essentials Each month, PGY-1 residents spend half a day in the operating room, followed by a structured didactic curriculum. This approach ensures a smooth transition into the clinical anesthesia years, focusing on the basics of anesthesia, patient safety and system-based practice while maintaining engagement and promoting a stronger clinical foundation. The sessions will provide exposure to fundamental skills such as: Preoperative assessment Operating room set up Communications in the operating room Drug administration Airway management IV insertion Physiologic monitoring Critical event recognition Sedation Pain management Airway Management Series Residents participate in a hands-on 10-part interactive and multipart airway management series. Basic and advanced airway management components will provide residents with the background of medical knowledge, skills and hands-on dexterity needed to confidently manage diverse and challenging scenarios of airway management. Leadership Development Leadership development will equip residents with the essential skills and knowledge to become effective leaders in the medical field. Topics include conflict management, emotional intelligence, teamwork principles and performance improvement. Through a combination of assigned reading, self-reflection and small group discussions, residents gain an understanding of their strengths and areas for growth as leaders. Mock Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) An annual mock OSCE session will prepare CA-3 residents for a new component of their board certification. The mock OSCEs are based on the ABA Content Outline and include standardized patients, ultrasound models, simulated exam rooms and monitors. Residents cycle through seven eight-minute testing stations. A comprehensive review of the mock OSCE examination is provided after every session. Mock OSCE focuses on any of these skill sets: Informed consent Treatment options Peri-procedural complications Ethical issues Communication with other professionals Practice-based learning and improvement Interpretation of monitors Interpretation of echocardiograms Application of ultrasonography Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) Residents will learn through lectures and hands-on scanning of live models during POCUS sessions to maximize knowledge and skills retention. Residents will gain more exposure and experience with this technique and apply POCUS in their daily practice. PGY-1s have a two-week ultrasound rotation in which they are partnered with a CA3. The rotation focuses on the basics of POCUS, which allows for early exposure to the ultrasound curriculum to form the basis for workshops in the clinical anesthesia years. Simulation Curriculum Simulation education provides an immersive learning environment where residents will practice the management of common critical events and rare anesthetic crises in a controlled setting and supportive learning environment. A particular emphasis is placed on developing skills in leadership, communication and critical decision-making in a variety of clinical situations, including multidisciplinary team-based sessions in the hospital itself. In the PGY-1 year, residents participate in an Anesthesia Crisis Resource Management simulation. For residents in the clinical anesthesia years, simulation sessions are scheduled throughout the program, covering various topics and subspecialty scenarios for each clinical anesthesia year. During the first month of orientation, CA-1s participate in an introductory series of simulations, which includes: Anesthesia machine, monitors and equipment Induction and airway management Hemodynamic changes during anesthesia Emergence from anesthesia and immediate post-anesthetic care issues Hypoxia, hypercarbia and increased peak airway pressure Hands-on workshops CA-1 residents are introduced to TEE using the HeartWorks TEE Simulator. A series of TEE simulation workshops for CA-2 and CA-3 residents includes a practical examination and demonstration of general competency with the TEE examination. Workshops Active learning is far more effective than passive, stand-and-deliver lecture formats. Our curriculum incorporates multiple hands-on workshops that are led by faculty throughout the residency program. Topics covered in workshops will review and reinforce the knowledge and skills acquired during clinical rotations. PGY-1 workshop topics include: Arterial line EKG Basic and advanced monitors Airway management Research (opportunities, IRB application process, evidence-based medicine and basic statistics) CA-1 workshop topics include: Adult and pediatric airway management Central and arterial lines Spinals, epidurals and ultrasound-guided regional nerve blocks CA-2 workshop topics include: Cardiovascular anesthesia Neuraxial anesthesia Regional anesthesia Pediatric airway Advanced monitors and airways Airway workshops include instruction and practice with fast-track LMA, glidescopes, adult and pediatric fiberoptic scopes, double lumen tube and bronchial blocker, retrograde intubation, cricothyrotomy and transtracheal jet ventilation, combitube and exchange catheters.