Didactics

Our educational program for the residency is based on an 18-month cycle with a different educational topic/focus each month (e.g. CT, trauma, neuro, etc.). The design of this program is such that our residents receive didactic training in each of these high-yield areas twice during their residency. This is in addition to the specific clinical and didactic training received while on each rotation. More specifics about the scheduled components of our educational system are outlined below. Of course, all of this occurs to facilitate learning during our clinical rotations with daily teaching from faculty during patient care in the OR, ICU, and clinics. The links below will give you detailed information about each of the components of our program.

Grand Rounds and Visiting Professors

This series takes place on Tuesday mornings at 6:30 a.m. The Grand Rounds presentations come from a mix of faculty from our department, from other departments with whom we collaborate on campus, and from our Visiting Professors Program. Many prominent professors from around the United States visit MUSC each year in this program. They present their work during morning lectures, often participate in ICU rounds, and are available to meet with faculty and residents who share similar research or career interests. They also present a PBLD session for our residents the afternoon before they give Grand Rounds. Residents are given the opportunity to go to dinner with them afterward. These are great opportunities for further education in areas of personal interest and for networking for future career directions and opportunities.

 

Didactics: Class-Specific Lecture Series

We have two resident lecture series that focus on distinct learner groups. The first is the CA-1 lecture series and the second is the CA-2/3 lecture series. The goal of this didactic process is to prepare our residents to be able to pass the ABA Written Boards easily. This written exam will soon be divided into a Basic Test (to be given after the CA-1 year) and an Advanced Test given after graduation. Our lecture series is already constructed in a manner that will allow our residents to pass both parts without any problem.

Our CA-1 Lecture Series starts in June of the intern year with daily didactic and/or simulation sessions that are 2 to 4 hours in length. Basics of Anesthesia ("Baby Miller") is covered during this introductory series, as well as simulation experiences covering everything from machine check-out to airway management to the basics of case management. It is an intense and focused preparation to transition our residents from their intern year to the OR (they are also paired 1-on-1 with a resident each day during this time). In July, the series transitions to a weekly lecture series on Wednesday afternoons from 3:30-4:30 p.m. This series progresses through Clinical Anesthesiology by Morgan and Mikhail and is organized as PBLD-style sessions using the ASA Toolbox curriculum. 

 

Didactics: Mock Oral Exams

This is the final component of our educational series. Our residents participate in Mock Oral Exams twice a year with our faculty. These sessions are planned and guided by Dr. Sylvia Wilson who is a senior examiner for the ABA Oral Board Exam. Other faculty members that are ABA Oral Board Examiners and act as Mock Oral examiners, as well, are Dr. Carlee Clark, Dr. Larry Field, and Dr. Abhinava Madamangalam. These sessions progress in difficulty from the CA-1 to CA-3 year. In order to give our residents the best experience and practice, the mock oral exams are set up exactly like the real exam in every way. Our goal is to make Oral Boards a breeze for our residents after they have gone through repeated practice sessions with our faculty.