Basic Skills Boot Camp: Building the foundation for CA1 success

Twenty-two residents moving into their first clinical anesthesia year (CA1) attended our 2026 Basic Skills Boot Camp. Held June 1–5, 2026, this intensive five-day program bridges the gap between classroom knowledge and the fast-paced realities of the operating room, equipping residents with the hands-on skills, clinical tools, and professional mindset they need before their paired period begins.

This year’s boot camp placed a strong emphasis on hands-on, experiential learning with several new sessions introduced that put residents directly in contact with actual equipment in the ORs. Across five full days, residents moved through a curriculum spanning CPR, ultrasound-guided needling skills, arterial lines, drug delivery, point-of-care training, Epic, and more.

In its second year, the Omnicell AWS Training and Narcotics Accountability with the pharmacy team is already proving its worth. Pharmacy staff noted a marked improvement in the preparedness of CA1s who completed the training last year and were grateful to see it return.

The week closed with residents better equipped technically, clinically, and personally for the demands of paired period and their careers ahead.

Numerous faculty, residents, and staff worked hard to put together this year’s boot camp and make it a success. Many thanks to the teams at the Anesthesiology Education Office, the Center for Safety, Simulation & Advanced Learning Technologies, the Center for Experiential Learning and Simulation, and the instructors below.