Residency

Welcome

Thank you for your interest in Cleveland Clinic’s Anesthesiology Residency Program. Our four-year integrated categorical residency includes a world-class, learner-centered, interactive curriculum. This curriculum includes level-specific, high-fidelity simulations, comprehensive OSCE sessions, periodic oral board practice examinations, and a longitudinal, perioperative ultrasound education program. In the clinical setting, our residents also function as an integral part of our care team and actively participate in the care of patients with complex surgical pathology across all surgical subspecialties alongside distinguished and experienced anesthesiologist educators. Furthermore, as part of a world-renowned research institute, we take pride in our outcomes-focused, patient-centered high-impact research and our innovative culture. This prepares our graduates for a life-long career as leaders in Anesthesiology and perioperative medicine. We welcome you to join our team!

Please join us for our Residency Open House session to help you get to know our program better. During this session, you will hear from our program leadership, meet some of our residents and get the opportunity to talk about the day-to-day of the residents in our program.

Here is the link for our session; make sure to sign up on ZOOM:

• September 14 2023, 7:00 p.m. EST

	Christopher Troianos, MD, FASE Chairman Anesthesiology Institute
	Carlos Trombetta, MD, MEd, CHSE Residency Program Director Anesthesiology Institute

Current Residents

PGY1 class

Michael Benson, DO

• Hometown: Akron, Ohio
• Medical School: Ohio University
• Clinical Interests: Pediatric Anesthesia and Acute Pain
• Personal Interests: Basketball, Golf, Hiking, Cooking all different cuisines, Rewatching the office, Going to Browns, Cavs and Guardians games and going to trivia at different local breweries and spending time with my wife!

Joseph Brisson, MD

• Hometown: Rochester, MI
• Medical School: Michigan State University College of Human Medicine
• Clinical Interests: Cardiac, ICU, or Regional Anesthesia
• Personal Interests: Family, friends, University of Michigan and Detroit sports

Yun Chao Chen, MD

• Hometown: Flushing, NY
• Medical School: Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
• Clinical Interests: Undecided
• Personal Interests: fishing, working out, food, TFT, and cats

Taya El-Hayek, MD

• Hometown: Canfield, Ohio
• Medical School: Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED)
• Clinical Interests: Undecided, maybe peds anesthesia or acute pain
• Personal interests: Traveling, Tennis, Pilates, Reading, and Spending time with my family, my friends, and my dog Kobe!

Steve Gendi, MD

• Hometown: St. Louis, MO
• Medical School: Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
• Clinical Interests: Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology, Chronic Pain, General Anesthesia
• Personal Interests: traveling, playing/watching sports (basketball and football), working out, Netflix, spending time with friends & the fam

Austin Hansen, MD

• Hometown: Lake Ozark, MO
• Medical School: University of Kansas, SOM
• Clinical Interests: Regional or Chronic Pain
• Personal Interests: Dogs, Golf, KC Chiefs, Fantasy Football, Trying new restaurants

George Istafanos, DO

• Hometown: Franklin Square, NY
• Medical School: New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine
• Clinical Interests: POCUS, Cardiothoracic anesthesia, regional anesthesia
• Personal Interests: Basketball, Scuba diving

Armon Khosraviani, MD

• Hometown: Los Gatos, CA
• Medical School: Chicago Medical School at RFUMS
• Clinical Interests: Cardiothoracic and general anesthesia
• Personal Interests: Fitness, Brazilian jujitsu, fishing, long walks, and Costco runs

Brandon Lau, MD

• Hometown: Honolulu, Hawaii
• Medical School: Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
• Clinical Interests: Undecided
• Personal Interests: Martial arts, video games, discovering new restaurants, whiskey tasting, cocktail bars, game theory optimal poker

Aaditya Manirajan, MD

• Hometown: Louisville, KY
• Medical School: The University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine
• Clinical Interests: Acute pain, Cardiothoracic Anesthesia
• Personal Interests: Rock climbing, fishing, board games

Kyle Meyer, MD

• Hometown: Fremont, OH
• Medical School: Northeast Ohio Medical University
• Clinical Interests: Acute and Chronic pain, pediatrics, cardiac anesthesia
• Personal Interests: Running, reading, Cleveland sports, trying new breweries, spending time with family and friends.

Warren Moseman, MD

• Hometown: Bloomington, IN
• Medical School: Indiana University School of Medicine 
• Clinical Interests: General Anesthesiology, Cardiothoracic Anesthesia, Acute and Chronic Pain. I have yet to meet a field of Anesthesiology I don’t love.
• Personal Interests: All things outside including hiking, fishing, kayaking, golfing, and skiing (both snow and water). Exploring Cleveland parks and breweries with my giant floofy Bernese Mountain Dog. Indiana Hoosiers Basketball.

Amanda Naylor, MD

• Hometown: Cleveland, OH
• Medical School: Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine
• Clinical Interests: Critical Care, Clinical Research
• Personal Interests: Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Cavaliers, exploring the Metroparks with my two rescue greyhounds, live music/jam bands, enamel pin collecting

Saloni Parikh, MD

• Hometown: San Francisco, CA
• Medical School: Thomas Jefferson University
• Clinical Interests: undecided
• Personal Interests: hiking/national parks, fitness, cooking for friends/family, live music, rooftop happy hours, wine tasting, Steph Curry and Golden State Warriors fan

Amani Ramiz, MD

• Hometown: Houston, TX
• Medical School: University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (UTSW)
• Clinical Interests: open to anything
• Personal Interests: Trader Joe’s, weightlifting, cooking

Megan Reilly, MD

• Hometown: Brighton, MI
• Medical School: Central Michigan College of Medicine
• Clinical Interests: regional anesthesiology, general anesthesiology
• Personal Interests: riding horses, golf, weightlifting, skiing, Costco hotdogs, and my two tuxedo cats Sylvester and Socks

Kyle Shaw, MD

• Hometown: Orlando, FL
• Medical School: Loma Linda University School of Medicine
• Clinical Interests: Cardiothoracic Anesthesia
• Personal Interests: Hiking, Camping, Traveling

Taha Siddiqui, DO

• Hometown: Fort Lauderdale, FL
• Medical School: Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
• Clinical Interests: Cardiac Anesthesia, Chronic Pain
• Personal Interests: Playing Competitive Table Tennis, Watching Anime and K-dramas, Eating Hotpot with Friends, Exploring New Cuisines, and Traveling to Japan!

Cameron Thompson, DO

• Hometown: Flint, MI
• Medical School: Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine
• Clinical Interests: Critical Care, Cardiac Anesthesia
• Personal Interests: Volleyball, exploring Cleveland's food scene, golf, dollar dog night, long walks on the beach with my dog

Busra Tok Cekmecelioglu, MD

• Hometown: Istanbul, Turkiye
• Medical School: Trakya University School of Medicine, Turkiye
• Clinical Interests: Cardiac Anesthesia, Clinical Research
• Personal Interests: Traveling, hiking, pilates, cats, photo shoots for Instagram, fashion, trying out new restaurants, happy hour

Joshua Whitney, MD

• Hometown: Franklin, TN
• Medical School: Central Michigan University
• Clinical Interests: Cardiac Anesthesia, Regional Anesthesia
• Personal Interests: Basketball, Disc Golf, Weightlifting, Chess, Skiing, Tuxedo Cats

Nina Zhou, MD

• Hometown: Wilmette, IL
• Medical School: Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
• Clinical Interests: Pain (Acute & Chronic), Obstetric, General Anesthesia
• Personal Interests: Reading, board games, Costco, fitness classes, hiking, matcha and sesame-flavored desserts

CA-1 class

Melissa Akpinar, DO

• Hometown: Long Island, New York
• Medical School: NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine
• Clinical Interests: Undecided
• Personal Interests: Hockey (let's go Rangers!), dogs, iced coffee, grilling, Peloton

Abraham AlFarra, MD

• Hometown: Houston, TX
• Medical School: UT Houston
• Clinical Interests: Chronic pain management, Cardiac anesthesia
• Personal Interests: CLE/Dallas sports, spending time with family/friends, travel, fantasy football, cars

Nabil Aziz, DO

• Hometown: Thousand Oaks, CA
• Medical School: Touro University - California
• Clinical Interests: Critical Care, Acute pain
• Personal Interests: Volleyball, gardening, hiking, video games, spending time with family

Katie Basch, DO

• Hometown: Solon, Ohio
• Medical School: Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine
• Clinical Interests: critical care, regional anesthesia, pediatric anesthesia
• Personal Interests: cycling, weightlifting, golf, ice cream

Philip Borkowski, MD

• Hometown: Chagrin Falls, OH
• Medical School: University of Sydney
• Clinical Interests: Undecided
• Personal Interests: Playing guitar, going to concerts, reading, memorizing movie monologues, alliteration, mastering Aunty Donna's Christmas pudding recipe, exercising and taking an excessive number of photos when traveling

Ariel Gelman, DO

• Hometown: Livingston, NJ
• Medical School: Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine
• Clinical Interests: regional anesthesia, general anesthesia, cardiac anesthesia
• Personal Interests: traveling, trying new restaurants, swimming, spending time with family & friends

Sydney Keller, MD

• Hometown: Grosse Pointe, MI
• Medical School: Indiana University
• Clinical Interests: Acute pain, general anesthesia
• Personal Interests: Running/cycling/walking nearby trails, exploring Cleveland's bar and restaurant scene, trips to Trader Joe's & Notre Dame football

Joan Koh, MD

• Medical School: Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, Long Island NY
• Clinical Interests: Cardiac anesthesia, Pain (Acute & Chronic)
• Personal Interests: Trail running/hiking, Water Skiing, Snowboarding, Movies (especially Marvel/Mission Impossible, Fast & Furious!), Drawing

Esra Kutlu Yalcin, MD

• Hometown: Mersin, Turkiye
• Medical School: Cukurova University School of Medicine, Adana, Turkiye
• Clinical Interests: Regional Anesthesia, Cardiac Anesthesia
• Personal Interests: Jamming with friends, Playing guitar and harmonica, Discovering and creating new playlists in Spotify, Postmodern Jukebox, The Office, Traveling, Jogging, Orienteering, Volleyball

Christopher Matthews, DO

• Hometown: Albany, GA
• Medical School: LECOM, Erie
• Clinical Interests: Pediatric
• Personal Interests: Soccer, golf, fishing and anything on the water, local ice cream stands, hanging with my wife

Sally Nagia, MD

• Hometown: Troy, MI 
• Medical School: Central Michigan University College of Medicine 
• Personal Interests: swimming, weightlifting, online shopping, sneakers, interiors, reality TV (Housewives, Bach, and so many more)

Alexandra Pearce

• Hometown: Toronto, ON
• Medical School: West Virginia University School of Medicine
• Clinical Interests: critical care, peds, OB, chronic pain
• Personal Interests: weight lifting, biking, yoga, reading, sleeping, sour beers of any kind, trying new breweries & restaurants with my husband & friends!

Dominic Pelchat, DO

• Hometown: Utica, MI
• Medical School: Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine
• Clinical Interests: Regional Pain, Cardiothoracic Anesthesia
• Personal Interests: Football, Piano, Running

Jerred Pletcher, MD

• Hometown: Ashland, Ohio
• Medical School: University of Toledo
• Clinical Interests: Cardiac, Critical Care
• Personal Interests: Breweries, food, pizza, dog parks, sports

Michael Salomon, MD

• Home town: Richmond, Virginia
• Medical School: University of Virginia
• Clinical Interests: Physician wellness, artificial intelligence in anesthesia, critical care
• Personal Interests: Fitness/exercise, camping and hiking, balling on a budget

Jay Shah, DO

• Hometown: Powell, Ohio
• Medical School: William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine
• Clinical Interests: Critical care, General anesthesia, Regional anesthesia
• Personal Interests: Cooking, Ohio State football, trying new breweries, spending time with friends and family.

Qainat Shah, MD

• Hometown: Queens, NY
• Medical School: Albany Medical College/li>
• Clinical Interests: possibly acute pain management, clinical research
• Personal Interests: cats, the boys, fries, cheese, long drives, fitness, walks in rain, couch naps, watching basketball

Dorian Stevens, DO 

• Hometown: Pittsburgh, PA
• Medical School: Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine
• Clinical Interests: Chronic pain management and transplant anesthesia
• Personal Interests: Huge Pittsburgh Steelers fan, spending time with family and my dog Kayda, weightlifting, playing basketball and golf

Nicholas Thompson, DO

• Hometown: Mentor, Ohio
• Medical School: Ohio University HCOM
• Clinical Interests: Intensive care and regional pain
• Personal Interests: Spending time with family, flying drones, and being outdoors

Samjeris Victor, MD

• Hometown: Reading, PA
• Medical School: West Virginia University School of Medicine
• Clinical Interests: Cardiothoracic and Chronic Pain Management
• Personal Interests: Philadelphia Eagles fan, jet skiing, ziplining, Marvel movies, brewery connoisseur, Gordon Ramsay enthusiast

Wing Fei Wong, MD

• Hometown: San Francisco, CA
• Medical School: Thomas Jefferson University
• Clinical Interests: Critical Care, Cardiac
• Personal Interests: Ice Cream (Making and Eating), Cross Stitch, Costco, Spin, Cute Scrub Caps

Wendy Yam, MD

• Hometown: San Jose, California
• Medical School: University of California, Davis
• Clinical Interests: Cardiothoracic Anesthesia
• Personal Interests: Cycling, reading, trying out new restaurants

CA-2 Class

Faiz Ahmed, DO

• Hometown: Long Island, NY
• Medical School: Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine – Erie
• Clinical Interests: Undecided
• Personal Interests: Sports, fitness, road trips, Super Smash Bros, Seinfeld, The Office

Gabriel Alcodray, MD

• Hometown: Dearborn, Michigan
• Medical School: Ohio State University College of Medicine
• Clinical Interests: Private practice
• Personal Interests: Board games, video games, weightlifting, couch naps

Mauro Bravo, MD

• Hometown: San Cristobal, Venezuela
• Medical School: Universidad de los Andes, Venezuela
• Clinical Interests: Acute and chronic pain management, neuroanesthesia, perioperative care, clinical research
• Personal Interests: Traveling, jogging, swimming, cooking and trying new restaurants, classic music

Jayce Breig, MD

• Hometown: Evergreen, Colorado
• Medical School: Drexel University COM
• Clinical Interests: Pediatric anesthesia
• Personal Interests: Billiards, video games, golf

Benjamin Brunell, MD

• Hometown: Austin, Texas
• Medical School: University of Texas, Rio Grande Valley
• Clinical Interests: Cardiothoracic anesthesia and critical care
• Personal Interests: Reading, podcasts, cooking/baking, consumer electronics

Michael Chepanoske, MD

• Hometown: Pittsburgh, PA
• Medical School: UMASS Medical School
• Personal Interests: Video games, cooking/baking, trying new breweries

Matthew Coscia, MD

• Hometown: Zionsville, IN
• Medical School: Wake Forest School of Medicine
• Clinical Interests: Acute pain, obstetric anesthesia, general anesthesia
• Personal Interests: I like weightlifting, hiking and outdoor activities

John Coughlin, MD

• Hometown: Parma, OH
• Medical School: Wright Stage University, Dayton, OH
• Clinical Interests: Critical care and cardiac anesthesia
• Personal Interests: Cycling, hiking trips, spending times with friends and family

Matthew Geiser, MD

• Hometown: Zionsville, IN
• Medical School: Indiana University
• Personal Interests: LA Dodgers fan, fantasy football

Nicky Goldstein, DO

• Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia
• Medical School: Philadelphia college of Osteopathic Medicine
• Clinical Interests: Taking it day by day and seeing what floats by boat by my senior years
• Personal Interests: Playing guitar/mandolin, spending time with my girlfriend/dog and cat, chasing top-quality live music shows and kayaking/hiking

Lusine Israelyan, MD

• Hometown: Yerevan, Armenia but my family is in Glendale, California.
• Medical School: Yerevan State University
• Clinical Interests: Neuroanesthesia, liver transplant anesthesia, clinical research
• Personal Interests: Baking, hiking, art and music

Jordan Italiano, MD

• Hometown: Canfield, OH
• Medical School: Wright State University
• Personal Interests: Spending time with family and friends, weightlifting, sports, TV series, movies, sneakers

Amoghavarsha Krishna, DO

• Hometown: Dayton, OH
• Medical School: Ohio University Dublin
• Clinical Interests: Chronic pain management and cardiothoracic anesthesia
• Personal Interests: Photography, travel, kayaking, eating exotic foods, animals!

Noble Forrest Lewallen, DO

• Hometown: Traverse City, MI 
• Medical School: Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine
• Clinical Interests: Cardiothoracic and transplant anesthesia
• Personal Interests: Craft coffee, backpacking, fitness, Tiki culture and cocktails, MSU and Cleveland sports

Tianyun (Ardi) Li, MD

• Hometown: Sidney, OH
• Medical School: Thomas Jefferson University
• Personal Interests: Tennis, lifting, baking desserts, eating desserts, trips to Costco, the Ohio State Buckeyes

Irfan Minhas, MD

• Hometown: Stow, OH
• Medical School: Chicago Medical School
• Clinical Interests: Chronic pain management, regional anesthesia and acute pain
• Personal Interests: Travel, basketball and video games

Rod Nault, MD, MS

• Hometown: Rochester, NY
• Medical School: Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
• Clinical Interests: Cardiothoracic, critical care
• Personal Interests: Rock climbing

Vraj Patel, DO

• Hometown: Peoria, IL
• Medical School: Midwestern University – Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine
• Clinical Interests: Acute and chronic pain management
• Personal Interests: Playing and watching basketball, Chicago Bulls, traveling, movies, breweries, hip hop and Bollywood music

Quinton Riter, DO

• Hometown: Stow, Ohio
• Medical School: Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine
• Clinical Interests: Regional anesthesia, obstetric anesthesia, chronic pain
• Personal Interests: Rock climbing, backpacking, hiking, cooking

Garrett Thomas, MD, Chief Resident

• Hometown: Broadlands, VA
• Medical School: Wake Forest School of Medicine
• Clinical Interests: Cardiothoracic anesthesiology, critical care
• Personal Interests: Spending time with my family, rowing, cycling, running, weightlifting, college basketball, playing board and video games

Jason Tretter, MD

• Hometown: Richfield, OH
• Medical School: Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine
• Clinical Interests: Chronic pain
• Personal Interests: Football, cooking, trying new foods and restaurants, The Office, 90 day Finance

Megha Vipani, MD

• Hometown: Chantilly, VA
• Medical School: University of Virginia
• Clinical Interests: Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology, critical care
• Personal Interests: Mitchell’s coffee chocolate chip ice cream, design, soccer

CA-3 Class

Bryan Benson, MD, PhD

• Hometown: Natick, MA
• Medical School: Case Western Reserve University
• Clinical Interests: Critical care, Microvascular failure in sepsis
• Personal Interests: Hiking, weightlifting, environmental sustainability, skiing

Benjamin Carnes, MD

• Hometown: Findlay, Ohio
• Medical School: Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
• Personal Interests: Travel, food, beer, sports

Jennifer Choi, DO

• Hometown: Buena Park, CA
• Medical School: Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona
• Personal Interests: Movies, trivia, hiking

Alec Clayton, DO

• Hometown: Farmington, Utah
• Medical School: Touro University Nevada College of Medicine
• Clinical Interests: Chronic pain management
• Personal Interests: Weightlifting, hiking, skiing, cooking, fishing

Philip Dunn, DO

• Hometown: San Bruno, California
• Medical School: Western University of Health Sciences
• Personal Interests: Photography

Aaron Hawke, DO

• Hometown: Elyria, Ohio
• Medical School: Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine
• Personal Interests: Traveling, reading, rock climbing, concerts

Joseph Hezkial, DO

• Hometown: Mississauga, Ontario
• Medical School: Touro COM-Middletown
• Personal Interests: Traveling, cooking, soccer, hiking, bowling, video games, Mitchell's ice cream

Anna Kanarr, MD

• Hometown: Alpena, Michigan
• Medical School: Central Michigan University College of Medicine
• Personal Interests: Baking, hiking, scuba diving, knitting, gardening, spending time with my husband and dogs

Alexander King, MD

• Hometown: Reno, Nevada
• Medical School: University College Cork, Ireland
• Clinical Interests: Cardiothoracic Anesthesia, Critical Care
• Personal Interests: Skydiving, scuba diving, Magic: The Gathering, climbing, console gaming

Yerin (Erin) Koh, MD, Chief Resident

• Medical School: Jacobs School of Medicine (University at Buffalo)
• Clinical Interests: Pain (Acute & Chronic), Cardiac anesthesia
• Personal Interests: Exercise (gym), outdoor activities, exploring coffee shops/restaurants & spending time with friends and family!

Danielle Kumpf, MD

• Hometown: Pittsburgh, PA
• Medical School: Penn State College of Medicine
• Clinical Interests: Cardiac and ICU
• Personal Interests: Downhill skiing, hiking, college football, hockey

Sean McManus, DO, Chief Resident

• Hometown: North Andover, MA
• Medical School: Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine Bradenton
• Clinical Interests: Pediatric anesthesia, regional anesthesia, critical care
• Personal Interests: Villanova basketball, Boston sports, traveling with my wife, going to the beach with my dog, fantasy football, running

Allan Migirov, DO, Residency Quality Officer

• Hometown: NYC, New York
• Medical School: New York Institute of Technology
• Personal Interests: Eating pizza, cooking and trying new foods, traveling, spontaneous road trips to somewhere random, being outdoors, learning something new, spending time with family and friends

Ronald Nowak, MD

• Hometown: Cleveland, Ohio
• Medical School: University of Toledo
• Personal Interests: Cleveland Browns football, travel, fitness, camping

Stephania Paredes, MD, Resident Research Coordinator

• Hometown: Cali, Colombia
• Medical School: Universidad Icesi
• Personal Interests: Animal lover, outdoor activities and tennis

Danielle Phillips, DO

• Hometown: Rochester, NY
• Medical School: Des Moines University
• Clinical Interests: Cardiac anesthesia, intensive care
• Personal Interests: Running, cycling, board games, NFL, trivia, cooking

Brian Potocnik, MD

• Hometown: Aurora, Ohio
• Medical School: The University of Toledo COM
• Personal Interests: Golf, water sports (slalom skiing / wakeboarding), soccer, Cleveland sports (Tribe, Browns, Cavs)

Stephen Seibert MD

• Hometown: Cassadaga, NY
• Undergraduate: Tulane University
• Medical School: Albert Einstein College of Medicine
• Clinical Interests: Chronic pain management
• Personal Interests: Football, playing guitar, fitness, the beach

Peter Shehata, DO

• Hometown: Toronto, Canada
• Medical School: Kansas City University
• Personal Interests: Travel, working out, hiking, volleyball, trying new restaurants, spending time with family/friends

Chelsea Teague, MD, Resident Ombudswoman

• Hometown: Port Clinton, OH
• Medical School: The Ohio State University
• Personal Interests: Playing with my dog, hiking, boating, fishing, running/lifting, rec sports, fantasy football, OSU football (go bucks), happy hour

Morgan Stafford, MD

• Hometown: Raleigh, NC
• Medical School: Wake Forest School of Medicine
• Personal Interests: Running, hiking, baking, travel, exploring new ice cream parlors and coffee shops

Eric Wang, MD, MPH

• Hometown: Appleton, Wisconsin
• Medical School: Baylor College of Medicine
• Clinical Interests: Cardiothoracic Anesthesia, Critical Care
• Personal Interests: Traveling, playing basketball, watching sports (especially the Green Bay Packers and Houston Rockets), AYCE (all you can eat)

Program Details and Rotations

Cleveland Clinic has a world-renowned reputation and a role as an international quaternary referral center. Patients with serious medical conditions come here for some of the most complex surgical procedures performed in the world. In this extraordinary clinical environment, our residents routinely manage some of the most challenging cases that anesthesiology has to offer, all while enjoying a broad experience in all aspects of perioperative medicine.

Clinical base year (PGY-1)

The Anesthesiology Institute is proud to sponsor a comprehensive and unique Clinical Base Year (CBY), specifically designed to prepare first year residents for advanced training in our anesthesiology residency. The CBY is comprised of 13 four-week modules of training, including experiences through the following areas:

• Perioperative medicine.
• Hospital internal medicine.
• Neuro ICU.
• Endocrinology.
• Chronic pain recovery.
• Nephology.
• Cardiology.
• Pulmonary medicine.
• Acute pain management and regional anesthesia.
• Adult surgical critical care.
• Cardiovascular and thoracic surgical critical care.
• Emergency medicine.

The CBY includes four months of General Anesthesia including a gradual two-month orientation process. During this period, the basics of anesthesia are taught in the classroom, OR and simulation settings. In a “boot camp” setting, our residents experience selected common and uncommon anesthesia crises, in a supervised and safe environment.

All scheduling, advising and evaluation for the internship is controlled by the Anesthesiology Institute. In addition to a broad clinical experience, this internship prepares the first-year resident for a smooth entry into the CA-1 year. Regular participation in anesthesiology conferences and activities makes the CBY resident a full participant in the Anesthesiology Institute. In our program, your residency in anesthesiology starts on day one.

CA-1 year

In the CA-1 year, residents build on the concepts and skills introduced in the CBY and continue to administer anesthesia using a wide variety of techniques for the main general anesthesia surgical areas. Residents will complete anesthesia rotations dedicated to surgical subspecialties including orthopedics, neurosurgery, ENT, urology, and plastic surgery.

Additionally, the CA-1 resident will have additional critical care exposure in both our 30-bed Surgical ICU and 95-bed Cardiovascular ICU, both of which are managed by the Anesthesiology Institute. This gives the residents the opportunity to help manage complex and acute critically ill patients encountered here, where technologies for advanced cardiovascular support are commonplace, second to none.

The CA-1 residents spend some time in our newly remodeled pre-anesthesia, allowing for a comprehensive preoperative patient evaluation and the initiation of multiple perioperative ERAS protocols.

During the postoperative anesthesia care unit rotation, the residents have the opportunity to manage postoperative complex patients from multiple surgical subspecialties, allowing them to understand the continuum of perioperative care.

CA-2 year

After intense exposure to the fundamentals of Anesthesiology during the CBY and CA-1 years, the CA-2 year introduces residents to the more complex anesthesia sub-specialties, these include great experiences in an advanced anesthesia practice setting.

Our Neurosurgical experience involves the management of a broad range of case complexities, from simple spine procedures to complex awake craniotomies. Being one of the largest stroke centers in Northeast Ohio, our residents get to experience acute neurosurgical emergencies, giving them the opportunity to solidify their management strategies. As we are getting ready to welcome our brand new state of the art Neurological Institute building, we are looking forward to enhancing our neuroanesthesia experience in 12 brand new ORs being built for us.

Our residency program’s cardiac and thoracic anesthesiology rotations are world class. Cleveland Clinic has been recognized as the number 1 hospital by US News and World Report for 29 consecutive years for cardiac care. During the residents’ rotations through the cardiac ORs they have the opportunity to work with world-class surgeons and anesthesiologists performing the most complex and challenging surgical procedures. Residents witness the most vanguard techniques in cardiac and thoracic surgery, allowing them to be excellently prepared in this very challenging area of anesthesia.

Residents will also gain additional experience in the management of difficult airways during a special module dedicated to ENT anesthesia, where a step-wise milestone and procedure-based curriculum enhances resident exposure to simple and complex airway management techniques.

Additional exposure to obstetric and regional anesthesia provides a longitudinal learning experience that helps solidify the residents’ knowledge in these sub-specialties.

Our pediatric anesthesia experience is quite comprehensive. From complex congenital cardiac surgery to a simple adenoidectomy, the CA-2 pediatric anesthesia rotation prepares our residents to manage pediatric cases.

With over 200 liver transplants per year, our CA-2 anesthesiology residents have a great exposure to these very complex cases as they have the opportunity to cover liver call throughout this academic year. This allows our residents to effectively learn the management of these complex cases, and enhance their transfusion and intraoperative critical management strategies.

CA-3 year

The CA-3 year provides the senior resident with a wealth of opportunities to fine-tune their clinical and leadership skills, while providing anesthesia and intensive care with significant autonomy to some of our sickest patients. Our CA-3 residents rotate through anesthesia subspecialty areas giving them the opportunity to solidify their management strategies. We have found that additional time in obstetric anesthesia, pediatric anesthesia, cardiac anesthesia and critical care are of great benefit.

While in the cardiac ORs, our residents rotate for a dedicated transesophageal echo module, where their primary responsibility is to learn this skill. Many of our residents pursue basic TEE certification or get an important head start in their TEE knowledge as they move on to fellowships where this skill is required.

During the months assigned to the general ORs, the CA-3 residents direct the overnight and weekend call teams and learn how to efficiently utilize OR resources and anesthesia personnel by working at the anesthesia control desk, giving them invaluable on-the-job experience in personnel, time and resource management.

We also offer elective rotations at several of Cleveland Clinic’s regional facilities, including Hillcrest, Fairview and Lutheran Hospitals, where our residents have access to a community and private practice feel for anesthesiology, engaging in experiences that enhance their autonomy, supervisory skills as well as their regional anesthesia practice. Most recently, we have introduced options to perform elective rotations in our London hospital and our Abu Dhabi hospital. In addition, we have created an elective rotation at Akron General Hospital, one of the main trauma centers in the region, to provide our residents with this invaluable trauma experience.

As part of one of the largest pain practices in the country, our residents’ rotations through our chronic pain clinics enhance their understanding of the multiple different invasive and non-invasive strategies for chronic pain management, as well as perioperative management of this very complex patient population. As part of the CA-3 electives, our residents have the opportunity to work in a community-based chronic pain practice, where they gain experience and manage complex pain patients with adequate supervision.

Finally, our CA-3 residents have the option to take elective time for advanced clinical research (up to six months) for scholarly purposes.

Approximate annual surgical volume

As a world-class institution, with a target on innovation and patient safety, Cleveland Clinic’s different surgical services encompass a huge gamut of surgeries and procedures. This allows our anesthesiology residents to be exposed to a wide range of surgeries, from the most common elective ones, to complex and experimental procedures. Our residents are part of the care team, hand in hand with anesthesiology leaders in multiple surgical sub-specialties, creating an environment of learning and discovery.

Here are some numbers that reflect the annual vast surgical experience at Cleveland Clinic’s main surgical ORs:

• 60,448 total surgical procedures.
• 17,936 ambulatory surgical cases.
• 10,651 pediatric procedures.
• 8,216 cardiac procedures.
• 713 pediatric cardiac procedures.
• 1,192 thoracotomies.
• 141 critical care beds (SICU and CVICU).
• 9,574 acute pain patients.
• 2,317 new chronic pain patients.
• 8,979 chronic pain procedures.
• 53 heart transplants.
• 133 lung transplants.
• 174 kidney transplants.
• 190 liver transplants.
• 8,488 deliveries.
• 6,588 major orthopedic procedures.
• 766 major spine cases.
• 4,518 neurosurgical procedures.
• 2,346 vascular procedures.

Our resident’s critical care exposure is enriched by the complexity of our patients, as well as the diverse settings where this care happens, from a dedicated liver transplant ICU to a unit dedicated to cardio-pulmonary mechanical assist devices and transplantation. The care that our residents provide these patients enriches their anesthesiology education, communication skills and team effectively.

Curriculum and Training

The Anesthesiology Institute's didactic curriculum component of the residency is matched in intensity and scope to the clinical experience, with the goal of providing diverse opportunities each week for residents and faculty alike to interact and enhance learning. Conferences and educational activities are designed to be challenging to residents, specific for their level of training.

Didactics

• Anesthesiology Institute Grand Rounds are weekly Institute-wide topic presentations given by faculty, residents, or renowned national and international leaders in the field as part of our Visiting Professor Lecture Series. Our M&Ms are held during Wednesday mornings on a protected time slot, on a weekly basis.
• Thursday Education Half Day each resident class, from CBY through CA-3, are relieved from all clinical duties to attend educational activities on topics ranging from basic pharmacology and physiology to complex sub-specialty material.
• Curriculum is geared towards ABA Keywords and preparation for both parts of the ABA Board Exam as well as the annual In-training Examination (ITE) and Anesthesia Knowledge Test (AKT).
• We embrace a learner-centered, interactive approach using problem-based learning, case-based learning, crisis resource discussions, simulation scenarios, interactive case discussions and faculty-moderated resident-led presentations.
• Faculty-led special topic and sub-specialty review sessions occur on a monthly basis.
• Outcomes Research Weekly Lecture Series - an optional lecture series for interested residents and fellows, dedicated to basic and advanced clinical research training, with special emphasis on research design, statistics, ethics, manuscript writing, and presentation. Lectures given by Outcomes Research Faculty - some of the most highly regarded and published leaders in Anesthesia research.
• Journal Clubs are held monthly throughout the year, addressing important and relevant topics of the ever-changing aspects of anesthesiology.
• Sub-specialty rotation-based lectures, including lecture series for residents on critical care, cardiothoracic anesthesia, obstetric anesthesia, pediatric anesthesia, etc. These are discussed during the resident’s specific rotations, in small group settings.
• Mock Orals are provided twice a year by faculty members, several of whom are ABA Board Examiners. This experience is enhanced in the CA-3 year, helping our residents to prepare for this component of the ABA Applied exam.
• OSCE (Objective Structured Clinical Exams) experience is provided for our CA-1, CA-2 and CA-3 residents to assist with preparation for the ABA Applied exam.

Simulation

Anesthesiology residents have access to over 59,000 square feet of some of the most cutting-edge simulation space in the world. Utilizing responsible practices, we have been able to re-start our simulation activities.

Multidisciplinary Simulation Center - focused on both individual and team-based learning, this center features a fully functional ICU and operating room, complete with the same equipment and capabilities found elsewhere in the hospital. The center is equipped with:

• A wide variety of task and procedural-based simulators.
• Multiple infant, child, obstetric and adult human high-fidelity patient simulators.
• State-of-the-art audiovisual recording and assessment system.

Our didactic curriculum is enriched with a strong high-fidelity simulation foundation, with cases that have a progressive increase in complexity, exposing our residents to the bases of all areas of crisis resource management, situational awareness and effective teamwork, both at the main simulation center and at the bedside in different in-situ locations.

These are some of the topics we address in our simulation sessions:

• Central and peripheral IV and arterial access practice workshops.
• Neuraxial anesthesia workshops.
• Peripheral nerve blocks.
• Transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography simulation.
• Complex anesthesia crisis and emergencies.
• Obstetric emergencies.
• Vascular surgery emergencies.
• Neurosurgical emergencies.
• ENT emergencies.
• Regional anesthesia complications.
• PACU/ICU emergencies.
• Crisis management.
• Team communication.

The Debra Ann November Pediatric Airway and Pulmonary Mechanics Lab - a technologically advanced simulation lab dedicated to the complexities and unique challenges presented by the pediatric airway. Equipped with a high-fidelity bronchoscopy simulator, a fully functioning anesthesia machine, ICU ventilators, and infant and child-sized task trainers and high-fidelity simulation mannequins, residents will gain both fundamental and advanced skills in pediatric airway management as well as a better understanding of pediatric anatomy and pulmonary physiology.

The Archie Brain Difficult Airway Simulation Center - features a simulated operating room complete with a functional anesthesia machine, operating room equipment, and a human patient. This unique center allows residents to not only fine-tune basic airway management skills but also develop an effective and skillful approach to the difficult and failed airway. Residents will have access to a high-fidelity bronchoscopy simulator, a variety of supraglottic airways and airway management devices, and a proprietary one-lung ventilation simulator.

Cardiothoracic Anesthesia Simulation Area – features multiple advanced airway and bronchoscopic simulators as well as a transthoracic/transesophageal echo simulator, and a central line, pulmonary catheter and IV pacer simulator; allowing our residents to practice and through deliberate, high repetition enhance their procedural skills.

Benefits

Residency program benefits

Our residents are able to enjoy 20 vacation days each academic year.

Insurance

Cleveland Clinic offers a comprehensive health plan which covers residents and fellows as well as their immediate family members (spouse and eligible children) at 50% of the healthcare premium that all other Cleveland Clinic caregivers pay. Trainees are covered as of their actual start date so long as they complete online enrollment within 31 days of their start date.

Educational allowance

An educational allowance is granted each academic year and may be used for books, moving expenses (incoming trainees only), laptops, USMLE/COMLEX, professional society memberships, board review, etc.

The Education Institute will fund up to $2,500 per academic year for CA1 - CA3s for meeting attendance provided an abstract or poster is presented and the resident is the first author.

Additional funding for travel and meeting attendance may be available through the Center for Anesthesiology Education office pending a simple approval process. Meeting attendance does not subtract from vacation days.

Salary

Please refer to the table below for new salary rates, effective May 16, 2023:

Grad Level	Annual Rate	Per Pay Rate
1	$63,457	$2,644
2	$65,596	$2,733
3	$67,715	$2,821
4	$70,364	$2,932
5	$72,709	$3,030
6	$75,569	$3,149
7	$78,072	$3,253
8	$79,594	$3,316
9	$81,122	$3,380

Additional benefits

• Free access to Cleveland Clinic Fitness Facilities (state-of-the art cardio and weight machines, Olympic-sized swimming pool, basketball courts, fitness classes), in several locations throughout the city.
• Mini iPads provided to all incoming anesthesia residents.
• Access to "Access Anesthesiology" plus a multitude of other electronic resources provided through the Cleveland Clinic Alumni Library.
• On-call meal allowance.
• Nicely equipped resident lounge.
• In-house moonlighting opportunities (for those who qualify and meet requirements).
• Access to different educational resources including TrueLearn, Anesthesia Toolbox and Board Vitals.

Institutional benefits

• Learn about the institutional benefits you will receive as a Cleveland Clinic trainee.

How to Apply

Anesthesiology residency application process

The Anesthesiology Institute offers 24 categorical positions each year, comprised of a unique, integrated Clinical Base Year (CBY) followed by three years of Clinical Anesthesia (CA1-CA3). All positions are filled through the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP).

How to apply

The Anesthesiology Institute participates in the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) for all positions. Our application requirements are the same as the standard ERAS application:

• Complete Application.
• CV.
• Personal Statement.
• Medical Student Performance Evaluation (Dean's Letter).
• Transcript.
• USMLE Step I Transcript.
• Three Letters of Recommendation.

Please add a paragraph to your personal statement discussing what it is about the Cleveland Clinic program that appeals to you. Program-specific personal statements will be held in high regard. Individual program and geographic signaling will be strongly considered.

USMLE Step 2 may be completed after the application deadline, but its results will be considered before the final residency rank list. Successful completion of Step 2 is required prior to matriculation.

Deadline

While there is no definite deadline, we strongly encourage that all applications be submitted before or soon after October 10, 2023.

Interviews

Offers for interviews will be made via email starting early October. Interviews will be virtually held on Thursdays from October through January via a THALAMUS platform; camera presence will be required. The night before each interview date we will have an event where the scheduled candidates will have the opportunity to meet current residents in the program in the setting of a virtual social mixer.

Virtual open house sessions information

We have scheduled our virtual open house sessions, where we will have the opportunity to highlight our program, share important information, meet and talk with some of our staff and current residents.

• September 14, 2023: Follow this link to register

For more information

Carlos Trombetta, MD, MEd, CHSE, FASA
Residency Program Director Anesthesiology Institute
Staff General and Cardiothoracic Anesthesiologist

Jennifer Mocsiran
Residency Program Coordinator
ANED@ccf.org
216.444.2356
Residency Office Phone: 216.445.2115

Program Leadership

Carlos Trombetta, MD, MEd, CHSE, FASA
Program Director

Originally from Venezuela, I completed my medical school at the Universidad Central de Venezuela, Escuela de Medicina “Luis Razetti” in Caracas, Venezuela; following which I pursued an anesthesiology residency and cardiothoracic anesthesia fellowship in its University Hospital. I eventually moved to Cleveland and enrolled in the Cleveland Clinic’s Anesthesiology Residency Program and Adult Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology Fellowship. I have been working as staff for both the general and cardiothoracic anesthesiology departments since then. I have always had a passion for medical education, and this led me to enroll and complete a Masters in Healthcare Professions Education from Cleveland State University/Cleveland Clinic.

My passion for medical education and especially simulation-based medical education; made me pursue Certification in Healthcare Simulation Education (CHSE) and recognition for the Cleveland Clinic’s Simulation center from the American Society of Anesthesiologists.

When I am not thinking about medical education, I am probably planning my next trip, I really enjoy international travel, fitness, looking for new hikes to go explore the outdoors, new restaurants here in Cleveland and venturing in my own Italian cooking.

Sandeep Khanna, MD
Associate Program Director

I serve as the Associate Program Director and divide my time between the Departments of General Anesthesia and Cardiothoracic Anesthesia. After completing my residency training, I pursued fellowships in Cardiothoracic Anesthesia and Medical Education. My research interests include airway management, perioperative hemodynamics and liver transplant anesthesia. I love playing tennis and hanging out with my family. Our favorite activities include outdoor biking, watching movies and impromptu dancing.

Samantha Stamper, MD
Associate Program Director

I was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I received my Bachelor of Science in Forensic Chemistry at West Virginia University. I also received my Doctor of Medicine degree from WVU and then returned to Pittsburgh for anesthesia residency at Allegheny General Hospital. After residency, I completed a fellowship in regional anesthesiology and decided to join the staff following graduation. I just completed my Masters in Healthcare Professions Education from Cleveland State University/Cleveland Clinic.

From a clinical standpoint, I split my time between general anesthesia, our acute pain management service. I love my role as Assistant Program Director because I feel that in addition to excellent patient care, education is at the heart of everything we do. Outside the hospital I love spending time with my dog, my family, and watching any and all of Pittsburgh’s sporting events.

Mariel Manlapaz, MD
Associate Program Director

I was born in the Philippines and lived in Manila until 13 years old. My family immigrated to California, and I ended up at Stanford University where I not only obtained my Bachelors in Biological Science, but I also met my husband. After a brief stint at Chiron as a research associate, I went to medical school at University of California Irvine. Much to my chagrin, I moved to Cleveland to do my anesthesia residency and cardiothoracic fellowship, since my husband had already matched here for his residency. To my surprise, I loved being at the Clinic, and Cleveland has become our home where our three boys have flourished.

Currently I specialize in neuro-anesthesia and liver transplants. In addition to my role as associate residency program director, I am also the director of the Perioperative Medicine Anesthesia Fellowship. I am very interested in how adult learners learn and am currently finishing my Masters in Education for Health Professions Education. I am looking forward to leveraging my new found knowledge and experience to help residents reach their full potential.

Outside of medicine, my husband and I love experiencing and learning about other cultures and ways of life. We have taken our boys all over the world and have had amazing adventures and have met many wonderful people!

Avneep Aggarwal, MD
Associate Program Director

I serve as an Associate Program Director and divide my time between the Departments of General Anesthesia and Department of Intensive care and resuscitation. After completing my residency training, I pursued a fellowship in Anesthesiology Critical Care Medicine. My true passion lies in educating and training the next generation of future anesthesiologists. I am the Director of the medical student rotation in the surgical intensive care unit and the Director of the Virtual Critical Care Rounds series for the residents. Serving as a mentor at various stages of medical education brings me immense satisfaction as I get to observe students' development into residents and fellows, many of whom eventually become my colleagues. My areas of expertise encompass perioperative critical care and graduate medical education, with a particular focus on simulation-based medical education. Beyond the hospital, I enjoy quality time with my family and indulge in reading about behavioral economics, human behavior, and decision-making.

Maged Argalious, MD, MBA, MSc, MEd, FASA, FASE
Vice Chair of Education

I serve as Vice Chair for Education for the Anesthesiology Institute and as Chair of the department of General Anesthesiology. I served as the Associate Program Director for our residency program from 2007 to 2013 and as the residency program director from 2013 to 2019. I value feedback (both giving and receiving) as an essential influence on learning and am a big fan of the Kolb’s experiential learning theory. My subspecialty areas of interest are anesthesia for liver and multivisceral transplant, vascular anesthesia, and perioperative medicine. I enjoy playing tennis, watching European soccer, and working alongside a phenomenal and dedicated education team.

Resident Life

A Message from our Chief Residents

Welcome and thank you for your interest in the Cleveland Clinic’s Anesthesiology Residency Program! We are so proud of the complexity and depth of the cases at our program and are happy to be able to learn from some of the best Anesthesiologists in the country. We truly believe this is the best place to learn to become a World-Class Anesthesiologist, and can’t wait to meet you and share more about our fantastic program. 

Training and curriculum

We provide a unique Clinical Base Year (PGY-1) that offers six months of anesthesia training throughout the intern year. Our staff presents lectures that focus on key topics for the ABA Basic and Advanced exams. These lectures are given during protected academic time on Thursdays when residents are relieved of their clinical duties to attend these lectures. In addition, our program provides weekly grand rounds, simulation activities, practice OSCEs, and semi-annual mock oral boards. Within our department, research is encouraged but not required for our residents. For those who wish to pursue research, our program works closely with the Outcomes Research Department which is the largest anesthesiology research group in the nation. This department provides guidance and resources for our residents to achieve their research goals. 

The strength of our program is the diverse and complex clinical case exposure. The main facility includes more than eighty cardiac, thoracic, vascular, pediatric, and general ORs. Cleveland Clinic attracts medically complex patients worldwide and gives our residents the opportunity to care for a diverse patient population. Our residents gain exposure to a wide variety of surgical cases including but not limited to liver, kidney, small bowel, heart, and lung transplants, as well as complex heart and vascular cases. The “Cleveland Clinic Experience” gives our residents the confidence to handle any clinical scenario with ease and expertise upon completion of residency. 

Ye Rin, Sean, Garrett, and Forrest.

A day in the life of our residents

Eric Wang, MD CA-3 Resident, Cleveland Clinic

Hi y’all, I am one of the 4th year residents (CA3) and wanted to share a bit about what it is like to be a resident at our program! A typical morning in the ORs, where you will be spend 4 months as an intern, and a majority of the time afterwards, starts with my first alarm at 5:30. After a snooze or two, I wake up and get ready to head to main campus. Living in downtown Cleveland, I make my short 15 minute commute to the hospital, where I swing by our (24 hour) Panera to grab my morning coffee. I then change into scrubs and make it to my OR, where I get my drugs, lines, and airway equipment ready to go for a 7:30 first round start. I’ll introduce myself to my patient once they arrive, confirm my anesthetic plan with my staff, and then we’re ready for induction and off to sleep. Every day I’ll get a 15-minute morning break and a 30-minute lunch, which is prime time to head down to H15, our resident lounge, to eat and hang with my awesome co-residents. It’s an unwritten rule (and intern responsibility) to make sure that The Price is Right is on between the hours of 11-12 every day. You’ll spend plenty of time in H15 as an intern, bonding with your classmates as you rotate through your medicine rotations - which will mostly consist of specialty consult services with only one month of inpatient medicine. After I finish my OR cases, I’ll check in with the control desk to make sure that I’m done for the day, and head home. They will typically try to make sure you get out by 5:00 if you haven’t already finished. When I get home, I’ll look up my cases for the next day, discuss them with my attending, and then enjoy the rest of my night, and the cycle repeats all over again the next morning. As a CA-2, you will be primarily in the OR for most rotations, which build upon the foundation set up by your CA-1 year. These include 3 months in our cardiothoracic ORs, 2 months of pediatric anesthesiology, and 4 months taking care of the most complex patients in general anesthesiology including more liver transplants than you can imagine. While that might sound intimidating, you really are well prepared by the time you make it there, and this year will get you ready as an anesthesiologist that can handle anything. As a CA-3, you will have opportunities to take on supervisory roles for your junior residents. It’s a great experience to get to know your interns & CA1s while gain insight of what its like to oversee multiple OR cases at the same time. But being a resident here is more than just the clinical experience, it’s also about what goes on outside of the hospital. Just a few highlights from the last year include filling up two pontoon boats on Lake Erie to celebrate taking our ABA BASIC exam (what happens on the lake, stays on the lake), traveling across the country to present at the ASA and MARC conferences (watch out, San Francisco 2023), competing as the Ketamine Krushers in our summer beach volleyball league (a CCF tradition), and having our amazing chief residents going above and beyond so we could all be off call and attend our co-resident’s wedding. The best part about this program really is lifelong friendships you’ll make with your colleagues. It’s impossible to fit it all into just a paragraph, so we hope to show you in person soon!

Melissa Akpinar, DO CA-1 Resident, Cleveland Clinic

At 5 a.m. my alarm goes off and I start my day by having a coffee in bed. I enjoy a few moments of relaxation before leaving for work at around 5:50. After arriving on campus I change into scrubs and head to my OR to start setting up. I see that our wonderful team of anesthesia techs has cleaned and prepared the anesthesia workspace with a standardized setup. I check all of the equipment I plan to use for the day in addition to preparing emergency backup equipment. I pull the medications I anticipate needing and set up my airway devices and IV fluids for the first case. At around 7 a.m. I am done setting up and see that my patient has arrived outside of the OR. I greet them and perform my anesthesia interview and answer any questions they have about their anesthesia. This is one of my favorite parts of the day because I get to build rapport with my patient and help ease any concerns they may have about their case. At 7:15 I have a quick breakfast sandwich and coffee with a coresident in the anesthesia lounge. At 7:20 I stop by my OR and see the surgical team setting up for the case and recognize that I have a few moments to drop into the neighboring OR to check if my coresident needs help with anything. They’re also ready to go, so we chat for a few minutes before I go back to my OR to start my case. At 7:30 the first patient of the day rolls into the OR, and every member of the OR team performs a “safety huddle” together with the patient. This is one of our many safety checks during the perioperative period. Shortly thereafter, the first case of the day is off to a start, and I get settled in for a day of training in anesthesiology! At around 9:30 my attending gives me a morning break, and I head to the resident lounge to drink a protein shake while chatting with some other anesthesia residents who are also receiving a break. Soccer is playing on the TV, and some residents from other specialties drop by to check out the game. Fifteen minutes later, I head back to the OR and get updates from my attending about any developments that may have occurred during my break. My case is going smoothly, and at around 12:30 p.m. I am given a lunch break. I get some sushi from the cafeteria and see that soccer is still on the TV. I head back to the OR after 30 minutes and see that my case is coming to a close. I emerge the patient alongside my attending and wheel them to the PACU so that they can spend some time recovering from surgery in a monitored environment. After handing off care to the PACU nurses and residents, I head back to my OR to turn over my room for the next case. At around 5 p.m. I get relieved, and I head back home to work on pre-ops for the next day’s cases. My attending responds that they are happy with my plan and they offer a few suggestions to improve my anesthetic strategy for one particular patient. I close out my day by facetiming with family while BBQing some chicken and vegetables on the grill. I go to sleep at around 9 p.m. and get ready for another day in the ORs. I hope this gave a glimpse into our life as an anesthesiology resident at CCF and we can’t wait to meet you in person!

Research Opportunities & Conferences

Cleveland Clinic's Center for Anesthesiology Education and the Anesthesiology Institute are committed to the continual growth of the knowledge base of anesthesia. To support this endeavor, we actively encourage our residents to take part in quality clinical research as a part of their four years of training.

Spearheading our research program is the Department of Outcomes Research, the clinical research arm of the Anesthesiology Institute. This team of world-renowned researchers, clinicians and statisticians is working on clinical research to improve patient outcomes. The department also serves as the administrative center for the international Outcomes Research Consortium, a group of more than 110 clinical investigators, spread across four continents and arguably the world's largest clinical anesthesia research organization.

In addition, within the Anesthesiology Institute, we have a resident research committee comprising of staff and two resident research coordinators. The role of the resident research coordinator is pivotal in connecting interested residents with appropriate research mentors. In addition, the research coordinators help coordinate the activities of Annual Anesthesiology Institute Research Day, which serves as a platform to present and recognize high-quality research projects conducted by residents and fellows with the guidance of their staff mentors.

Getting involved with research as a resident

Every resident is given ample opportunity to get involved with clinical research at an early stage, starting in the clinical base year. The Department of Outcomes Research offers the "Fundamentals of Clinical Research" lecture series to all residents throughout their training. This is a certification course conducted every year that focuses on the basics of research methodology and statistical tests, with emphasis on conducting ethical and clinically relevant research. Interested residents can also approach either of the two research coordinators who can then put them in contact with research mentors with ongoing or future research projects.

We also maintain a database that keeps track of all the major research projects throughout our Anesthesiology Institute. This allows us to identify research opportunities for our residents and ensure that they have quality research projects to work on.

In addition, residents can also avail up to six months of dedicated research time as an elective during CA-3 year in accordance with current ACGME guidelines. Cleveland Clinic is an active member of the MPOG Outcomes group, giving our resident access a database comprised of over 12 million cases, which can be analyzed for research purposes.

Anesthesiologists in charge of resident research

• Alparsalan Turan, MD.
• Ehab Farag, MD, FRCA.

Resident Research Coordinators

• Mauro Bravo, MD.
• Stephania Paredes Padilla, MD.

Meeting attendance and presentations

The Anesthesiology Institute encourages and supports residents to attend all major national and regional anesthesia meetings. As per Institute policy, every resident will be able to attend one national and one regional meeting along with the OSA (Ohio Society of Anesthesiologist) meeting every academic year. Specifically, the Institute supports attendance to the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA National Meeting) and the Midwest Anesthesia Residents Conference (MARC Regional Meeting). We encourage our residents to share the complexity of their anesthesiology experience by actively participating and presenting posters, as well as oral presentations. This gives our residents the opportunity to enhance their communication and presentation skills as we prepare them to further their academic careers.

In order to meet the academic milestones of the residency program for graduation, residents are required to either publish at least one peer-reviewed article or submit and present at least one abstract at a regional or national meeting during their four years of training.

Related resources

• Outcomes Research Consortium.
• Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative.
• American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA).
• The Ohio Society of Anesthesiologists.

Resources

Training at Cleveland Clinic

We invite you to explore our Graduate Medical Education website to discover the reasons why Cleveland Clinic offers an ideal teaching and learning environment as well as to learn more about our rich tradition of excellence in the “education of those who serve.”

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