Didactic Program

Didactics are an integral part of resident education, and in-classroom education goes hand-in-hand with in-OR teaching to reinforce acquisition of medical knowledge related to anesthesia. Didactics takes on a variety of formats to help residents prepare for clinical practice, the ITE, the ABA Basic Exam, the ABA Applied Exam, and beyond. The list is not meant to be comprehensive, and subspecialty rotations may have altered didactic schedule to fit with rotation specific schedules and topics of interest.

Below is a sample of the different didactic conferences held on a regular basis:

• In-OR teaching with problem based learning discussions (PBLDs)
• Weekly resident lectures on Thursdays
• Department wide Grand Rounds
• Department wide Journal Clubs
• Simulation labs
• Ultrasound workshops
• Echocardiography Rounds
• Mock Oral Boards (5 ABA Oral Board Examiners on staff)
• Interesting Case Conference Presentations
• Mortality and Morbidity Conferences
• Chairman’s Conference

Didactic Program Schedule of Events

Joint Simulated Oral Examination

Every year, the two Anesthesiology residency programs in San Antonio, UT Health and SAUCHEC, conduct a joint simulated oral board examination. Faculty members from both residency programs serve as mock examiners to simulate the experience at the ABA Applied Exam. The residents are provided both verbal and written feedback after the simulated sessions based upon the expected performance at the level of training.

Mock Oral Exam

Each year our department provides an annual Mock Oral exam to our residents for preparation of Anesthesiology Board Certification.