Advanced anesthesiology education + didactic curriculum at Tufts Medical Center
Alongside hands-on intraoperative and bedside teaching, we offer a comprehensive didactic program designed to equip residents with the knowledge and skills to become world-class anesthesiologists. Each lecture series is carefully organized by faculty leaders to provide up-to-date content that aligns with current clinical practices and exam requirements.
The curriculum is personalized, with resident feedback playing a central role in shaping foundational anesthesia concepts and preparation for written and oral exams. Trainees are encouraged to share their input to keep sessions relevant and aligned with their learning goals.
While hands-on experience is essential, the program also values quality learning over volume. Resident case mix and caseloads are tracked to ensure balanced education. Protected time is reserved for lectures, problem-based discussions and other educational activities, allowing residents to engage deeply with the material.
Our learner-focused curriculum follows the American Board of Anesthesiology Content Outlines for the BASIC, In-Training, ADVANCED and APPLIED exams. Key components include:
- CA-1 year: Daily lectures from July to mid-August, followed by the faculty-led BASIC Pathway every Thursday afternoon, focused on the ABA BASIC Exam content.
- CA-2 and CA-3 years: The ADVANCED Pathway, a two-year rotating curriculum covering advanced topics and subspecialties, held every Thursday morning after Grand Rounds. Specialty blocks, led by Division Chiefs, include respiratory, cardiac, pediatric, obstetric, pain management, physics, pharmacology and renal/endocrine topics.
Additional activities include journal club sessions, mock Standardized Oral Exams, high-fidelity simulations, Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS) training and wellness sessions during protected didactic time.
Departmental Grand Rounds occur every Thursday morning, featuring visiting speakers, faculty lectures and monthly Quality Improvement (QI) and Mortality & Morbidity (M&M) sessions.
