A Day In The Life Of An Anesthesiology Resident At An Academic Hospital
A typical day for an anesthesiology resident begins early, around 6:00 AM, with pre-rounding on patients and team rounding, followed by preparing operating rooms—"checking the ventilator," ensuring necessary equipment and medications are available. The resident then meets the patient, obtains consent, and manages anesthesia during a variety of surgical procedures, from appendectomies to neurosurgery, a day that often extends past 5:00 PM due to the unpredictable nature of surgeries and emergencies.
Medical Procedures, Patient Care, Teamwork, Problem-Solving, Time Management
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Briana Kossbiel
Anesthesiology Resident
Academic Hospital
University of Arizona, 2016
University of Arizona College of Medicine - Tucson, 2021 - MD
Biology & Related Sciences
Healthcare, Medical & Wellness
Medical
Honors Student, Veteran
Video Highlights
1. A typical day for an anesthesiology resident begins early, around 6:00 AM, with reviewing patient information and pre-rounding.
2. Residents prepare the operating room, ensuring all necessary equipment, fluids, and medications are available for a diverse range of surgical procedures.
3. The resident's role extends to patient interaction, including pre-operative consoling and monitoring patients throughout the surgery, often until around 5:00 PM, although this can vary due to emergencies or prolonged procedures.
Transcript
What does a day in the life of an athletic resident look like?
A day in the life of a medicine resident, no matter the specialty, usually starts quite early. We typically receive sign-out from the overnight team around 6:00 AM, which is a rundown of events for our patients. This is followed by a few hours where we review overnight events, new labs, and any new imaging for our patients.
Afterward, we conduct our pre-rounding. During this time, we gather information and perform any necessary physical exams on the patients we are caring for. Then, we begin rounding with our entire team and the attending physician for the day.
During rounding, we see all our patients and develop the plan for the day. This plan includes tasks that will be executed later, such as ordering new labs or imaging, or managing patient discharges and their destinations.
For anesthesiology residents, the day also starts early, usually by 6:00 AM or even earlier. We are responsible for setting up the operating room for the day's assigned cases. These cases can vary widely, from appendectomies to hysterectomies, open heart surgery, or even neurosurgery.
Our setup process involves checking the ventilator, ensuring we have all necessary fluids, and confirming we have the equipment for any required procedures. We also draw up medications, including emergency medications for the patient.
Once the room is set up, we see the patient we will be caring for that day. We review their medical history, obtain consent for anesthesia, and ensure they are comfortable. We understand that surgery can be nerve-wracking, so we help ease their anxiety.
We then escort the patient to the operating room, administer anesthesia, and monitor them throughout their surgery. Our day typically aims to end around 5:00 PM, but this can vary due to longer surgeries or unexpected emergencies. As we finish our day, we look ahead to the next, receiving our assignments so we can review patient information beforehand, ensuring we are prepared for the following morning.