About the Department

The Department of Anesthesiology employs more than 160, including faculty, residents, fellows, CRNAs, research faculty and nurses, technicians, and support staff.  Four or more departmental conferences are scheduled each week for residents, faculty, and staff. Lists of recommended readings are provided. In order to prevent conflicts between clinical and educational responsibilities, the department maintains a staff of certified registered nurse anesthetists who provide backup support.  Additional subspecialty and journal clubs help provide a depth of exposure to selected topics. A core curriculum of fundamental anesthesia publications is available to each resident. To assess comprehension and retention of basic concepts, all residents complete a series of related written examinations during the first year of clinical anesthesia training.  The Department also hosts a CME meeting each year, Carolina Refresher Lectures, which attracts anesthesiologists from around the nation.

The library of the Department of Anesthesiology provides excellent educational resources for residents, faculty, and staff.  The Department subscribes to many anesthesiology publications, which are reserved exclusively for members of the department.  The library also includes computer workstations with online training software.  The library is available for department use only and is always open for study and research. 
 
The departmental journal club, a gathering of residents and faculty, meets once per month.  The club meets at a local restaurant for dinner and discusses important journal articles pertinent to the field.  Residents present the articles and then open the floor up for debate.

UNC Anesthesiology supports an active Visiting Professor Program with other excellent programs around the country and the world.  Just as our academic faculty members receive invitations to contribute to the educational programs at other institutions, we invite a number of visiting professors to visit our campus each year.  Faculty members from other institutions provide a fresh perspective on anesthesiology issues.
The Anesthesiology Information Management Systems (AIMS) unit provides daily maintenance of the network, supports the clinical areas, and assists users in fiscal management, administration, research, education, software training, clinical anesthesia care, and billing.  AIMS also has items such as laptops, digital cameras, and LCD projectors available for Department use.
 
The Department hosts several social gatherings throughout the year.  These occasions contribute to the department's family atmosphere.  Annual events include a winter holiday party, resident graduation dinner, and pool parties at faculty homes.  Events such as these allow department members and their families to interact away from the hospital and provide for enjoyable evenings.