A recent training event at the University of Florida College of Medicine brought together fellows and faculty from several institutions for an immersive learning experience.
Coordinated by faculty and staff from the UF Department of Anesthesiology, the Southeast Pediatric Anesthesia Regional (SPEAR) Transition to Practice Bootcamp was held on May 30-31, 2024. Assistant professors of anesthesiology Cole Dooley, M.D., and Federico Jimenez Ruiz, M.D., helped lead the training activities, which included role-playing scenarios as well as group and panel discussions. The participants were pediatric anesthesiology fellows from Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Our faculty were joined by Concetta Lupa, M.D., professor of anesthesiology and pediatrics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Kelsey Neuhalfen, M.D., and David Roberts, M.D., assistant professors at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
The real-world scenarios engaged participants with challenging situations related to pediatric anesthesia to practice their communication and conflict-resolution skills. Following the scenarios, participants engaged in problem-based learning discussions, sharing their experiences and perspectives. Sessions included interacting with a challenging parent, issues related to patients testing positive for pregnancy, canceling cases and managing conflict with colleagues, personal finances, and how to find their niche in pediatric anesthesia.
In addition to the training scenarios, a panel titled “Things I Wish I Would Have Known” was presented by Michael Greenberg, M.D., a pediatric cardiothoracic anesthesiology fellow from Duke Anesthesiology, Kimberly Blasius, M.D., a pediatric anesthesiologist at Scope Anesthesia of North Carolina and chief academic officer of Carolinas Medical Center, and Joseph Lagrew II, M.D., an anesthesiology specialist in Fort Myers, Florida (and the first pediatric anesthesiology fellow at UF in 2020-2021). They provided valuable insight to the attendees and sparked a lively Q&A session.
Many thanks to everyone who contributed to this event!