Dear Prospective Applicants,

Thank you for considering the University of Connecticut Anesthesiology Residency Program for your training. We are excited to share with you the many facets of our program that make it such an excellent environment for future anesthesiologists.

Residents in the UConn Anesthesiology Program have the opportunity to experience multiple hospital settings in both Hartford and Farmington. Our program is affiliated with four different hospitals: UConn John Dempsey Hospital, Hartford Hospital, Saint Francis Hospital, and Connecticut Children’s (all separated by less than 10 miles). The anesthesia departments at these hospitals are staffed by three outstanding private practices, Integrated Anesthesia Associates (IAA) and Woodland Anesthesiology Associates, as well as the amazing clinical faculty at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center. By working with these groups, residents are trained to be clinically versatile and well equipped to pursue a career in private practice or a clinically rigorous subspecialty. Training at multiple hospitals this early in our careers enables us to build the necessary skills of adaptability and versatility right away. Furthermore, we are exposed to a wide variety of practice styles and surgical techniques which offer a very rich set of educational opportunities.

One of the highlights of our residency program is the dual focus on academics and clinical skills. We offer weekly didactic sessions that include discussions on journal articles, case studies, and preparation for both written and oral boards. In addition to our structured didactic and lecture sessions, our attendings are highly committed to teaching within the operating rooms and take a special interest in resident education. Our residents also have the opportunity to present research projects or case reports at national conferences and publish their work in peer-reviewed journals. We have several attendings in the program who are active oral board examiners who help rigorously prepare senior residents for the Applied Exam, and who introduce oral board preparation to the junior residents. In addition to weekly program-wide didactics, we have weekly site-specific educational meetings to bolster the curriculum.

While approximately half of our residents pursue fellowship training in subspecialties such as cardiac, regional, pediatric, pain and critical care, we also support our residents in exploring other areas of interest. UConn Anesthesiology residents have earned fellowship positions at top hospitals across the United States, demonstrating the exceptional training provided by our program. Our affiliated sites offer regional anesthesia fellowships at Saint Francis Hospital and Hartford Hospital, as well as a cardiothoracic anesthesia fellowship at Hartford Hospital. The exceptional clinical opportunities and challenging cases at our program prepare any graduating resident to practice anesthesiology at a rigorous academic or busy tertiary care center. Many graduates are hired directly by the private practices who trained them.

Promoting a training environment that is focused on being supportive, inclusive, and friendly is a top priority. We are proud to have diverse faculty members who trained at various institutions across the country, bringing unique perspectives to the program. As a mid-size program, we have a close-knit group of residents who support each other and quickly become close friends. The camaraderie among residents is one of our true strengths.

All of the hospitals are located within the scenic Farmington Valley, and most of our residents have a 10- to 20-minute commute to each of the hospitals. The surrounding towns are scenic and peaceful. They also come with access to excellent public and private schools. The West Hartford area offers plenty of options for fine dining or happy hours. Outdoor activities are never in short supply, from hiking and kayaking to skiing and snowboarding, and even tubing down the Farmington River. The beaches of Connecticut and Rhode Island are easily accessible, and Bradley Airport is a short drive away for quick access to flights across the U.S. and even some direct flights overseas. We are a 2-hour drive to Boston, New York, or 3 hours to the White Mountains of New Hampshire for weekend getaways.

Recent improvements to the program in the last 2-3 years include an increase in our class sizes, from 9 to 13, which decreased our call burden, increased wellness, and increased camaraderie. We have also added a new advanced chronic pain rotation at Hartford Hospital which has given the residents even more exposure to this subspecialty, in addition to the rotation at St. Francis Hospital. There is also a new Anesthesiology Critical Care Fellowship program at UConn which we are very excited about and will add yet another fellowship to our Anesthesiology program family There is also an Obstetric Anesthesiology fellowship in the works, so stay tuned.

We hope that you will find our program to be an exceptional training environment for your career in anesthesiology. Please visit our residency website for additional details about our program, and feel free to contact us if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Chief Residents
University of Connecticut Anesthesiology Residency Program