Educational support

Residents receive $2000 ($500 from department and $1,500 from Medical College of Wisconsin Affiliated Hospitals) per year to be used for educational purposes. The department funds are for license fees, dues, PDA, etc. The department provides extra funds to cover registration, travel, lodging, and meals to residents who have presentations based on their research efforts. The MCWAH funds are designated as a Working Conditions/Fitness Benefit, and the money will appear on the last paycheck of each academic year.

The Medical College of Wisconsin is home to the STAR Center, a state-of-the-art simulation center and the location of our ASA-endorsed Maintenance of Certification in Anesthesiology simulation course.

Medical information is readily accessible through internet-accessible department and hospital computers linked to the Medical College of Wisconsin Libraries. The department also uses the New Innovations and D2L websites accessed via username and password that provide monthly call schedules, notices and memos, contact information for residents and faculty, lectures, keyword reviews, and practice management guidelines.

Research opportunities

All residents are given the opportunity to attend and compete in the Midwest Anesthesia Residents Conference, from which many of our residents often bring home awards. In Spring 2019, 25 residents presented abstracts and 12 won awards for their presentations.

For those who are interested in extensive clinical and research training, we offer the Clinician-Scientist Research Track (CSRT) and a newer Anesthesiology Physician Scientist Development Program.

The CSRT is a 6-9-month research block offered to qualified residents. Qualification includes above average performance during the first two years of residency. The ABA has defined a research pathway as up to a 9-month period of time that does not extend the residency. We typically have one or two residents each year that receive a research block and work with one of the many funded investigators in our Department.

The Anesthesiology Physician Scientist Development Program is an extensive program for those with a strong research background who interview for the position during their 4th year of medical school, or while a graduate student who has completed medical school. Briefly, it is a 5-year track of clinical anesthesia and research time. This path takes advantage of our NIH funded T-32 grant to support Physician Scientists pursuing up to 23 months of research in a 60 month residency training program.

For those who are interested in getting just a taste of research, our Faculty are always excited to have residents participate in research. There are small projects and/or case reports that can be undertaken during their three years of residency training.

Moonlighting

Our residents are encouraged to internally moonlight in Obstetric Anesthesia at the Froedtert Birth Center, as long as they have their full unrestricted Wisconsin medical license, and it does not cause a work hour violation under the ACGME guidelines. Residents in Anesthesia have opportunities to sign up for these shifts each block and are paid by Medical College of Wisconsin Affiliated Hospitals for these shifts. External moonlighting and moonlighting by housestaff on a J-1 Exchange Visitor Visa are not permitted. Housestaff on an H-1B Temporary Professional Workers visa are permitted to participate in internal moonlighting.