Message from the Chief Residents

Dear prospective residents:

Welcome, and thank you for your interest in the University of Cincinnati Anesthesiology Residency Program! We are excited to share what makes our program special.

Why UC?

At UC, we pride ourselves on a culture of teamwork, education, and community. Our program has grown to 12 residents per class with an integrated intern year, reflecting our expanding clinical volume while maintaining the close-knit environment that defines our residency. Residents benefit from dedicated mentorship, early autonomy, and expert teaching across every anesthesiology subspecialty. Our broad clinical training prepares graduates for any career path. Recent residents have matched into fellowships in cardiothoracic anesthesiology, critical care, pediatric anesthesiology, regional and acute pain medicine, and chronic pain medicine, while others have gone on to successful careers in academic medicine and private practice nationwide.

Our mission is simple: to train exceptional anesthesiologists. Through high clinical volume, diverse training environments, and graduated responsibility, our graduates leave UC confident and well prepared for fellowship or independent practice.

Clinical Training

Intern Year

Our integrated intern year provides broad exposure to internal medicine, neurocritical care, emergency medicine, otolaryngology, and other specialties at both UC Medical Center and the Cincinnati VA, located directly across the street. What sets our intern year apart is the early emphasis on anesthesiology. Nearly half of the rotations are within our department, including the operating room, our inpatient perioperative service (FLEX), preoperative clinic, chronic pain, Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS), and the Critical Care Anesthesia Team (CCAT). This early exposure allows interns to build foundational anesthesia skills, develop relationships with faculty and residents, and enter the CA-1 year with confidence.

CA-1

One of the greatest strengths of our program is the early exposure to every anesthesiology subspecialty and a high volume of complex cases. During the CA-1 year, residents rotate through neuro-anesthesia, obstetric anesthesia, cardiothoracic, pediatrics (At our nation’s #1 children’s hospital, Cincinnati Children’s), transplant anesthesia, regional anesthesia, and chronic pain. As home to one of the nation's busiest transplant centers, UC provides extensive experience with both orthotopic and living donor liver transplantation early in training. Residents also rotate at West Chester Hospital, where a high-volume ambulatory practice offers abundant experience with neuraxial anesthesia, efficient OR workflow, and graduated autonomy. The breadth and complexity of our CA-1 experience provide an exceptional clinical foundation, allowing residents to develop the confidence and skills needed to care for a wide variety of surgical patients while preparing them for increasingly complex cases throughout the remainder of residency.

CA-2

The CA-2 year builds upon the strong clinical foundation established during the CA-1 year with dedicated rotations in pediatric anesthesia, vascular anesthesia, neuro-anesthesia, obstetric anesthesia, surgical ICU, chronic pain, regional anesthesia, and night float. Residents complete their cardiothoracic anesthesia rotation at Bethesda North Hospital, gaining valuable insight into a community-based private practice model, while the obstetric anesthesia rotation at Good Samaritan Hospital, one of Ohio's highest-volume obstetric centers, provides extensive experience managing a diverse obstetric population in a private practice environment.

CA-3

The CA-3 year is designed to prepare residents for independent practice through increased autonomy and individualized training. Three months of elective time allow residents to tailor their education with experiences in TEE, transplant anesthesia, pediatric anesthesia, regional anesthesia, critical care, POCUS, board running (AOD), global health, and advanced "pretending" rotations. Core rotations continue to strengthen expertise in ambulatory anesthesia, obstetric anesthesia, pediatric anesthesia, regional anesthesia, CCAT, preoperative evaluation, and night float. Residents interested in global health also have opportunities to participate in international anesthesia and educational experiences alongside faculty mentors in countries such as Belize, Tanzania, and Uganda.

Moonlighting

Internal moonlighting opportunities are available early in residency. Residents may moonlight on CCAT beginning as a CA-1, in the main OR starting in January of CA-1 year, and on the obstetric anesthesia service after completing two OB rotations. These opportunities provide additional clinical experience while supplementing resident income.

 Life in Cincinnati

Cincinnati offers an exceptional quality of life with an affordable cost of living, short commute times, and vibrant neighborhoods. The city combines the amenities of a major metropolitan area with the feel of a close-knit community, offering a thriving food and brewery scene, professional sports, live entertainment, beautiful parks, and festivals year-round. Our residency community enjoys taking advantage of everything Cincinnati has to offer, frequently with hangouts outside the hospital for sporting events, happy hours, and social outings with residents, faculty, and their families.

Please feel free to schedule a visit or contact us with any questions. You can also follow us on Instagram (@cincyanesthesia). We look forward to meeting you!

Sincerely,

Anne Burgess, AJ Pagan & Anna Edwards (UC Anesthesiology Chief Residents)