Twenty-one of our residents had the opportunity to learn a wide range of skills in preparation for their first clinical anesthesia year during this year’s Basic Skills Boot Camp.
Over four days of the first week of June, residents received instruction on topics such as anesthesiology measurements and checks, emergency medicine, airway management intubation and extubation, procedural practice, and quality and safety.
The week included a mix of lectures, simulation sessions, and operating room instruction to provide residents with the experience they need to face challenges in the operating room. As the residents head into the paired period, it is important that they master the basics so that they can respond to crises in high-risk environments.
“The two main goals are to teach our residents skills so they are successful and to introduce them to scenarios in a safe environment where they can make mistakes,” said Nic Algarra, M.D., associate professor of anesthesiology and assistant program director for clinical operations. “We try to teach all the skills ahead of time so that they are prepared to use them right away in the operating room.”
From year to year, the boot camp undergoes improvements and modifications, taking into account resident feedback after the paired period. The ability to provide a dynamic experience for trainees is important given that every class is different and that the environment is always changing, Algarra said.
“We want to make sure everyone has a personalized experience because no two residents learn the same way,” he said.
For faculty and other residents, the incoming class of residents provides an exciting challenge to learn and grow. “We have 21 brand-new folks to look at things in different ways and ask questions – to me that’s the most exciting part because the quality improves,” Algarra said.
For residents, his advice is twofold. For one, remember that no one knows everything; the ability to consult colleagues and ask questions is important at all career stages, not only during the paired period. Additionally, he advises residents to be aware that behind the scenes, there is an army of people who are fully committed each day to ensuring they have a successful experience in the program.
Tammy Euliano, M.D., professor of anesthesiology, who taught simulation lab sessions on Friday, June 4, said the boot camp has grown significantly since it began as a one-day event in the 1980s when she was a resident at UF. In those years, simulation was in its infancy.
“The boot camp really is an excellent way to get residents prepared in the operating room in a much faster way than we could if all they did was take of patients,” she said.
Special thanks to everyone in our department who worked hard to make this week a success, including:
- Mike Provost, A.A., and Amanda Hernandez, C.R.N.A. for teaching Anesthesia Room Set Up and Basic Anesthesia Machine
- Chief residents David Hutchinson, M.D., Bill Mallett, M.D., and Nicole Premo, M.D. for teaching IV Fluid and Line Prep/Transfusion Protocol/Belmont Rapid Infuser
- Basma Mohamed, MBChB, for teaching Preop 101
- Felipe Urdaneta, M.D., for teaching Induction/Rapid Sequence Induction and Airway Management and Devices
- Nic Algarra, M.D., for teaching Hyper-Hypotension
- Ferenc Rabai, M.D., for teaching Sedation-Anesthesia Continuum
- Tim Martin, M.D., for teaching Medical Errors 1
- Nic Algarra, M.D., for teaching Anesthesia Pharmacology
- Scott Sumner, M.B.A., for teaching How to Navigate the Workplace as a Junior Resident
- Lida Esfandiary, M.D., Jack Schneck, M.D., and Bryan Stevens, M.D., for teaching Paired Period Curriculum
- Crystal Smith for EPIC training
- Stephanie Gore M.S.N., R.N., C.C.R.N., for teaching Quality and Safety
- Nic Algarra, M.D., Tammy Euliano, M.D., Barys Ihnatsenka, M.D., Gevalin Srisooksai, M.D., and Patrick Millan, M.D., for providing simulation lab instruction on CVL kits, medical errors 2, anesthesia emergencies, intraoperative practicum, decision-making and differential diagnosis in anesthesia, and factors that contribute to anesthesia safety. Special thanks to Rachel Seay, R.N., for helping all day with simulations.
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