Frequently Asked Questions
Welcome to the University of Illinois-Chicago (UIC) Department of Anesthesiology residency program! Thank you for your interest in our program and taking the time to learn more about us! Our program has a long-standing tradition of training exceptional anesthesiologists based on our outstanding mentorship, positive work culture, resident camaraderie, professionalism, and excellent clinical experience.
What are the basics about our program?
We are a categorical program with each class made up of 12-14 residents from many different backgrounds and life experiences. We strive to recruit individuals who share the common qualities of responsibility, accountability, forward and independent thinking and teamwork. Our faculty members have a broad range of expertise with many of them having completed fellowships in a variety of subspecialties. Several faculty members hold national level leadership positions within different organizations including the Society for Neuroscience in Anesthesia and Critical Care (SNACC) and Society for Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology (SOAP). Despite their many accolades and successes in their own careers, our faculty are incredibly welcoming and collegial between all members of the department.
Where do we complete our training?
The “home” hospital of the program is the University of Illinois Hospital and is where you will spend most of your training. This level II trauma center provides our residents excellent exposure to Neuroanesthesia, Obstetrics, Pediatrics, Regional Anesthesia, Transplant Anesthesia, Cardiac Anesthesia, and Critical Care. To further our exposure to these subspecialties and diversify our training, we rotate at Loyola University Medical Center for Cardiac Anesthesia and Critical Care, Shriners Hospitals for Children for complex Pediatric Anesthesia, Northshore Hospital for Regional Anesthesia in a private practice setting, and The University of Chicago for Trauma Anesthesia. You will also rotate at the Jesse Brown VA Hospital as an intern and later on in your training as a senior resident.
What makes our program unique?
We believe that our residency program is structured in a way that sets up our residents for success. Our intern year is unique in that it includes four months of clinical anesthesia rotations between the University of Illinois Hospital and Jesse Brown VA. Interns are paired closely with attendings and senior residents in an effort to build a strong foundation. This enables our interns to learn the fundamental concepts of being an anesthesiologist so they are miles ahead of the curve once they start their CA-1 year. For those interested in global health, our department sponsors an International away rotation for eligible CA-3s (this was temporarily suspended with the COVID pandemic, however plans are in motion to continue this). This great opportunity gives us an advantage as we become accustomed to effectively learning and working in different environments.
What is it like to live in Chicago?
The city of Chicago is an incredible, world class metropolitan area that is a great place to live during residency. Whether you enjoy eating out at some of the country’s best restaurants, visiting the numerous museums available, or cheering on your favorite sports teams, Chicago has something to do for everyone! Although Chicago is a large city, it is composed of many distinct neighborhoods ranging from the hustle and bustle of a major city to quieter, more peaceful neighborhoods. Our residents live in a variety of these neighborhoods (including River North, South Loop, West Loop, Medical District, Wicker Park and Lincoln Park just to name a few) and always find time to meet up outside of work to explore the city. UIC Hospital is conveniently located in the Illinois Medical District and easily accessible by public transportation from all ends of the city.
How did COVID affect us?
While Chicago was thankfully not as hard-hit as other regions of the nation, COVID certainly has impacted our training environment. Our department’s strong leadership was a key factor in UIC being among the first in the area to suspend elective cases in March. Resident safety was made a priority, including quarantining those with suspected exposures, additional PPE training, attending only procedure teams for intubations and line placements in COVID patients, and pulling residents from outside rotations if it was deemed to not be providing appropriate safety measures. Now that COVID has become a way of life and regular operating hours have resumed, we have adapted to safely care for all our patients. Mandatory COVID testing prior to all procedures, social distancing in preop/PACU, and designated COVID ORs allow the residents to safely gain the same experience and expertise as prior to the pandemic.
What will be new in the next few years for the program?
To further adapt the program to meet the training needs of the residents, our program leadership is constantly searching for new ways to expand our training. In the last couple of years, two off-site rotations were added to the curriculum. Northshore was added as an elective rotation for those interested in exposure to a busy private-practice setting where we get the opportunity to further develop our regional skills. The University of Chicago was added for Trauma experience and plans are in motion to rotate in their Trauma ICU as well. Furthermore, the University of Illinois continues to expand and is currently constructing an Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) that is to be completed in Fall 2022 providing opportunity for additional learning opportunities.
Thank you once again for visiting our site! Due to the ongoing pandemic, we understand that this year will once again be different from prior years and we are saddened that we won’t be able to show you in person what makes our program special, our residents! However, if you have any questions about our program, we strongly invite you to email us at [email protected] and we would be happy to answer your questions!