Design and Implementation of an Innovative, Longitudinal Wellness Curriculum in an Anesthesiology Residency Program

Residency training programs in anesthesiology, intensive care and emergency medicine: from curriculum to practice

Residency programs in anesthesiology and intensive care (AIC), and emergency medicine (EM) continually evolve to ensure well-prepared trainees for these critical fields of healthcare. The objective of this study was to collect comprehensive feed-back from AIC and EM residents, comprising opinions and attitudes on: curriculum and structure of the residency program; scope of training environment, opportunities and complexity; training guidance and mentorship; teaching approach. An anonymous online cross-sectional survey was conducted among AIC and EM trainees during December 2023-January 2024 and June 2023-July 2023, respectively. Two hundred and thirty-five answers were collected: 137 (73/64 female/male) and 98 (55/43 female/male) respondents from the AIC and EM programs, respectively. Overall feed-back was equivalent for both residency programs, with differences related to the distinct characteristics of each medical specialty. The main issues identified across the programs were the need to improve and diversify the teaching approaches, with trainees' strong desire for more professional guidance, mentoring, and constant feed-back. The findings would inform decision-making beyond current residency programs in these critical care specialties, highlighting the need to design solutions for interactive and highly immersive educational experiences, such as simulation, augmented reality or virtual reality.

Anesthesiology Residency and Relationship Health: A Psychological Approach

This article explores an often-untouched subject in anesthesiology residency: relationships. The authors examine the importance of fostering all types of relationships (eg, personal, professional, self) and the impact of the training process on relationships and total well-being. Common issues in relationships during anesthesiology residency are shared through real-life anecdotes from physicians who are currently in or have completed their residencies. Psychological principles including optimism bias, cognitive dissonance, social comparison, and self-efficacy are explored as contributing to dysfunction in relationships. Strategies are offered for each psychological domain as a resource for faculty and program leadership to improve the residency experience in anesthesiology.

Conflict Management Education for Anesthesiology Residents: Bridging the Gap in Interpersonal and Communication Skills Competency

Effective communication and conflict management are important skills for anesthesiologists and are designated by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) as elements of the "interpersonal and communication skill" competency (ACGME Anesthesiology Milestone Project 2020). However, structured conflict management education for anesthesiology residents remains limited. To address this gap, we developed and implemented a conflict management session incorporating didactics and application exercises using role-play and high-fidelity simulation (SIM) for anesthesiology residents (postgraduate years 3 and 4) at a tertiary academic medical institution. These sessions were well-received, and both role-play and SIM appear to help residents learn conflict management skills.