The Department of Anesthesiology’s 2024 paired period team has successfully piloted a new model for the important work of helping anesthesiology interns transition into the operating room. The paired period is an essential way that the department provides mentorship, guidance, and support to interns during a challenging period of their clinical education.
The new model utilizes a pod system, pairing small groups of interns with a dedicated member of the paired period leadership team. The smaller groups make it easier to meet for discussions and debriefings during the paired period while also helping members of each pod get to know one another.
The overall goal of this system is to make the transition into the operating room as smooth as possible for the interns while facilitating effective communication and contributing to a positive culture of learning and support.
Kellen Creech, D.O., says this system adds both structure and flexibility to a challenging time for residents. “The paired period is easily the steepest learning curve in medicine,” he said. “There’s a lot to learn in just eight weeks.”
“We want to create a safe space for learning, but also for recognizing and correcting mistakes,” said Kyle Chan, M.D. “Providing quality guidance at this time not only helps our interns feel supported; it also keeps patients safe.”
Abigail Schirmer, M.D., brings an important outside perspective to the paired period team, having transferred to our program as a second-year resident. She also praised the administrative support from the department.
“We’ve had constant communication with the leadership team,” Schirmer said, “and that’s really contributed to the success of the pod system.”
The team hopes that the success of the pod system will create a structure that can be fine-tuned and improved upon for future years and future intern classes.
Many thanks to the 2024 paired period team, Kyle Chan, M.D.; Kellen Creech, D.O.; Jessica Mandell, M.D.; Kevin Marfiak, D.O.; Abigail Schirmer, M.D.; and Cheng Zheng, M.D.