AOA GUIDE TO APPLYING TO RESIDENCY BY SPECIALTY

The AOA Guide to Applying to Residency by Specialty is a student-run initiative aimed to help
current and rising Geisel medical students gain valuable information and advice from former
students to prepare for the residency application in the field of their interest. Every year, the
newly elected AOA members will collect input from the student body and residency advisors in
order to keep the information current. If you are a fourth year and would like to contribute to this
initiative, please complete the form below. When the forms are completed, we will run them by
the Residency Advisors and Coordinators.

Current organizing members: Madeleine Haff (President), Andrea Jaresova (Vice President),
Alex Bender, Max Bowman, Caledonia Buckheit, Raphaela Gold, Michael Lauria, Shawn Li,
Xing Li, Eliza Pope-Collins, Lars Matkin, Rebecca Masutani, Natalie Ring

RESIDENCY APPLICATION FORM FOR ANESTHESIOLOGY

1. Residency Advisor(s) and contact info:

Faculty Advisors: John Arbogast, Marnie Welch, and Ellen Seiffert

Adminstrators: Kathy Gaudette (Kathryn.A.Gaudette@hitchcock.org)

2. Brief Description of specialty:

An anesthesiologist maintains patients in a state of controlled unconsciousness, providing

pain relief and monitoring the patient's critical life functions as they are affected throughout
surgical, obstetrical or other medical procedures. The anesthesiologist is responsible for the
preoperative assessment of the patient and is also responsible for the wellbeing of the patient
postoperatively while the person emerges from the effects of the anesthesia. Additionally
anesthesiologists help stabilize critically ill or injured patients in intensive care units. They
are often involved in the management of acute postoperative pain, chronic and cancer pain;
in cardiac and respiratory resuscitation; in blood transfusion therapies; and in respiratory
therapy.

3. Official Specialty Website with residency information:

American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA): https://www.asahq.org/

4. Number of years in residency:

4 years (including one preliminary year)

5. Average number of hours worked per week during residency:

45-70 hours depending on the rotation

6. Types of fellowships and number of years:

 Adult cardiothoracic anesthesiology (+1)
Critical care medicine (+1)
Pain medicine (+1)
Pediatric anesthesiology (+1)
Regional anesthesiology
Obstetrical anesthesiology

7. Five most important attributes that residency program directors are looking for:

8. Match rate: Anecdotally the chiefs report that around 70% of applicants matched into
one of their top 3 programs.

9. Participates in Early Match?

No

10. Most current NRMP Match Data from “Charting Outcomes in US Allopathic
Seniors”:
11. Objectives by year:
a. First Year: Join the interest group

b. Second Year: Consider a leadership role in the interest group and do electives if
offered

c. Third Year: Let the Anesthesiology advisors know you are interested; try to do a 2
week elective in Anesthesiology

d. Fourth Year: Do sub-I and any away rotations, write personal statement, obtain
LORs, apply through ERAS

12. Third Year Timeline

Complete 2 week anesthesia elective at some point before 4th year, speak with Dr.
Arbogast or Dr. Welch if your schedule doesn’t allow you to do so, but you’re still
interested in anesthesiology.

13. Fourth Year Timeline

a. July: SUB-I’s/compile LOR’s
b. August: SUB-I’s/compile LOR’s
c. September: Submit ERAS (don’t worry if not everything (LOR’s, research, etc…
isn’t ready by the time you submit, you can update schools/etc…on the way or at
interviews)
d. October: Interviews
e. November: Interviews
f. December: Interviews
g. January: Interviews
h. February: Interviews
i. March: MATCH!
j. April
k. May
l. June

14. Number of Required Sub-Is: 1 anesthesia Sub-1

15. Suggested Sub-Is or Fourth Year Electives: 1 additional anesthesia related sub-I (such
as critical care), away anesthesia sub-I if desired, medicine or surgery Sub-I if so inclined
(particularly medicine if applying to non-categorical programs)

16. Guidelines for Letters of Recommendation

a. Number needed: 3-4
b. Who to ask: at least 2 anesthesia, 1-2 other (preferably interventionists/OR
related)
 17. Guidelines for Personal Statement writing: Convey your personality and motivations
for anesthesia. A select few personal statements stand out as good or bad, but for the
majority, LOR’s, Sub-I’s, Interviews, etc… will be more important in influencing
admissions decisions.

18. Contacts (List of fourth year students and recent Geisel alumni who have matched in
anesthesiology)

Liliane Ernst ’18 – University of Tennessee

Robert Tokhunts ’18
Alexander Soto ‘18

19. The Interview

a. General timeline for when interviews are granted: October-January/February

b. General Advice: most are laid back/more like conversations, should be less
stressful. If stressful/pimped frequently, consider culture of program.
c. Common questions asked: Why anesthesia, why here?
d. What to ask and look out for on the interview trail: Speak to residents in the more
informal sessions to get a sense of culture, hours, etc…
e. Tips per program