Curriculum

Grand Rounds

Our Grand Rounds conferences are held at 7:00 AM on Monday mornings. The start time in the operating rooms is delayed by one hour on these mornings so that all are able to attend. The anesthesiology attending staff from both NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, as well as anesthesia residents, CRNA's, and medical students attend Grand Rounds.

The Grand Rounds consist of 50-minute presentations by nationally and internationally recognized experts in the field of anesthesiology. Visiting professors spend the hour after Grand Rounds with the class of residents assigned to the Monday morning teaching block. The format each visiting professor uses varies from case discussion to lecture, but the residents enjoy the opportunity to interact.

PGY-1 Curriculum — “Introduction to Anesthesia”

33 1-hour Sessions, 4 cycles per year
Weekdays, 1:00-2:00
PGY-1 Residents
The Introduction to Anesthesia program is a 3-month, intensive lecture series designed to introduce the PGY-1 resident to the fundamentals of knowledge required to cognitively engage with anesthesia training and practice. The Introduction to Anesthesia program prepares the resident for the rigorous, ABA syllabus-directed Basic Topics in Anesthesia program that occurs during the CA-1 year, and provides an introduction to the teaching faculty. Each session provides a subject-appropriate mix of traditional didactics and small-group discussion.

CA-1 Curriculum — “Basic Topics in Anesthesia”

38 1-hour Sessions
Mondays, 3:30-4:30
CA-1 Residents
The Basic Topics in Anesthesia program is designed to prepare the CA-1 resident for the ABA Basic Examination, which occurs at the beginning of the CA-2 year. Every lecture is referenced to specific elements of the ABA Basic Syllabus, and over the course of the program the entire syllabus will be comprehensively covered. Each session will comprise 45 minutes of didactics, with 10-15 minutes at the end reserved for presentation and discussion of ABA-style exam questions. In addition, four dedicated question review sessions will occur through the year.

CA-2 Curriculum — “Advanced Topics in Anesthesia”

41 1-hour Sessions
Wednesdays, 3:30-4:30
CA-2 Residents
The Advanced Topics in Anesthesia program is designed to present the CA-2 resident with the complete body of knowledge assessed by the ABA Advanced Examination, in preparation for the Senior Mastery Series which will occur during the CA-3 year. Every lecture is referenced to specific elements of the ABA Advanced Syllabus, and over the course of the program the entire syllabus will be comprehensively covered. Each session will comprise 45 minutes of didactics, with 10-15 minutes at the end reserved for presentation and discussion of ABA-style exam questions.

CA-3 Curriculum — “Senior Mastery Series”

41 1-hour Sessions
Fridays, 3:30-4:30
CA-3 Residents
Building on the knowledge base acquired in the CA-2 Advanced Topics in Anesthesia program, the Senior Mastery Series is designed to prepare the CA-3 resident for the ABA Advanced Examination and independent clinical excellence. The core of the program is the 4-week subspecialty concentration. In the first two weeks of the concentration, interactive seminars reinforce and develop key elements of the Advanced Topics knowledge base. In the third week, two PBLDs will present complex clinical scenarios requiring mastery of knowledge and applied skills. The fourth week will be dedicated to review of high-yield ABA-style questions related to the subspecialty. In addition to the subspecialty concentrations, four weeks throughout the year will be dedicated to Advanced Workshops in Hemodynamic Emergencies, Airway Crises, TEE, and ACLS/PALS. The year will conclude with three weeks of ABA-style board question review.

Resident Case Conference

50 1-hour Sessions
Thursdays, 3:30-4:30
All Residents
The Case Conference program provides a structured setting in which all residents are able to share and discuss their experience with complex or unusual cases, crises, and other adverse events. Drs. Kane Pryor and David Stein moderate the session, in which the resident involved in the case describes the course, and all other residents are invited to weigh in on management options and decisions. Case Conference is conducted in a semi-formal manner, facilitating participation from residents at all levels of training.

Oral Board Exam Program

10 1-hour Sessions
Every fourth Tuesday, 3:30-4:30
All Residents
The Oral Board program is designed to instruct all residents in the structured oral articulation of clinical knowledge, and to prepare the CA-3 resident for the ABA Oral Board Exam. During the course of the year, every CA-3 resident will conduct a 20-25 minute oral exam with two ABA Board examiners, followed by a short period of feedback. The examinee will be provided the broad subject area in advance. Two exams will be conducted in each 1-hour session. All non-examinee residents are expected to attend and observe the session.

Resident Mixed Teaching Session

40 1-hour Sessions
Tuesdays except those with Oral Board Exams, 3:30-4:30
All Residents
Moderated by Dr. James Littlejohn, the Mixed Teaching Session is the home for workshops, PBLDs, guest speakers from other departments, and other single-session or short education formats and initiatives. All sessions involve active participation. The Mixed Teaching Session program is designed to be responsive to ideas from the resident body in both format and content, and residents interested in developing a single-session or short educational program are encouraged to discuss and work with the moderators.

Other Conferences

LectureDescriptionDay/Time
Journal ClubsNearly all subspecialty areas maintain active, monthly journal clubs. Relevant and current articles are presented by rotating residents or fellows for discussion with faculty.Monthly
Cardiac ConferenceThe goal of this conference is to supplement the clinical exposure of residents and fellows with didactic lectures, journal clubs and case presentations relating to cardiac anesthesia. All members of the cardiac team and those residents assigned to the cardiac block rotation participate in the conference.Tuesday mornings 7:00 AM – 8:00 AM
Pain ConferenceThe goal of this conference is to supplement the clinical exposure of residents and fellows with didactic lectures, journal clubs and case presentations relating to acute and chronic pain management. All members of the Tri-Institutional Pain Team and those residents assigned to the pain rotation participate in the conference.Friday mornings 7:30 AM – 9:30 AM
Subspeciality Conferences (peds, neuro, vascular, etc)The goal of each subspecialty’s series of conferences is to supplement the clinical exposure of residents with a combination of didactic lectures, journal clubs and case presentations relating to the subspecialty area. Residents, fellows and subspecialty faculty participate in their subspecialty conference series. Scheduling varies based on the subspecialty.Monthly, varying weekdays 6:30 AM - 7:00 AM
SimulatorResidents become active learners throughout their training in our state of the art simulator. Skills developed prepare residents for real clinical scenarios as well as future board licensing experiences.Interns: Weekly for 2 of their anesthesia months CA1-3s: one afternoon quarterly

Contact Us

Dept. of Anesthesiology
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medicine
525 East 68th Street, Box 124
New York, NY 10065

Office of the Chair
Phone: (212) 746-2962
E-mail:  Office of the Chair, anesthesiology-chair@med.cornell.edu

Residency and Fellowship Education
Direct all inquiries to:
Phone: (212) 746-2941
E-mail: anes-programs@med.cornell.edu
For trainee verification inquiries: anes-verification@med.cornell.edu

Patient Billing Inquiries
Phone: (646) 962-5700