SEA/Henry Ford Health Award for Excellence and Innovation in Anesthesia Education

Established in 1996 through an initial contribution from Duke University’s Department of Anesthesia, this prestigious award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated a longstanding commitment to advancing the field of anesthesia education. In 2026, the Department of Anesthesiology, Pain Management & Perioperative Medicine at Henry Ford Health proudly assumed support of this honor. 

The award recognizes educators who embody the core mission of the SEA: to Support, Enrich, and Advance anesthesia education and those who teach. Past recipients have distinguished themselves through curriculum development, technical innovation, scholarly writing, and educational research.

https://www.asahq.org/about-asa/newsroom/news-releases/2024/10/sexual-harassment-in-academic-medicine

We were astonished by the findings in the AAMC's "State of Women in Academic Medicine 2023-2024" report, that put forward the progress and persistent challenges in gender equity, particularly in our specialty. We commend our national societies who support women leaders in succeeding in their academic trajectory. The AAMC report shows the increase in the percentage of women chairs in academic anesthesiology departments from 13% in 2004 to 18% in 2024. We also recognize the narrowing of the compensation gap with women earning $0.94 for every dollar earned by their male colleagues. However, neither of these accomplishments are sufficient, and we must strive to break the “glass ceiling” and support gender equity at all levels.

The Society for Education in Anesthesia (SEA) values scholarship and an inclusive community in medicine. As educators we understand that the foundation of a diverse and inclusive physician care team starts in medical school. A diverse workforce has been shown to “lead to higher-quality work, better decision-making, greater team satisfaction, and more equality.”^{1, 2, 3} All individuals, if they so desire, should have an equitable opportunity to become a physician educator and be part of a diverse workforce. The Embracing Anti – Discrimination, Unbiased Curriculum, and Advancing Truth in Education (EDUCATE) Act, H.R. 7725, violates the values of SEA. SEA strongly opposes the EDUCATE Act and continues to strive for inclusion and diversity in medicine.

1. Minkin R. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Workplace. Pew Research Center, March 2023.
2. Ely RJ and Thomas DA. Getting Serious About Diversity: Enough Already with the Business Case. It’s time for a new way of thinking. HBR Nov-Dec 2020.
3. Gomez LE, Bernet P. Diversity improves performance and outcomes. J Natl Med Assoc. 2019 Aug;111(4):383-392. doi: 10.1016/j.jnma.2019.01.006. Epub 2019 Feb 11. PMID: 30765101.

Natalie Koons, DO

Rachel Moquin, EdD

This infographic was creating using survey data gathered from medical students, recently matched residents, and anesthesiology program leadership regarding advisement on the use of signaling in the Match. We hope that it inspires improved communication and transparency in the anesthesiology application cycle.

Dr. Koons is a current PGY1 anesthesiology resident at Stanford's Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine and Dr. Moquin is currently an Assistant Professor and Director of Learning and Development at the Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

Dr. Monica Arndt

Review submitted by Dr. Monica Arndt, PGY4 resident in the Department of Anesthesiology at Yale School of Medicine

With the proposition of ‘what we should know about the people we don’t know’, Malcolm Gladwell invites us to approach strangers with humility and caution on his best seller “Talking to Strangers”.

Coach Training for Leaders and Educators in HealthCare (CFLinHC): Coming to the SEA in January 2024.

Karen Souter, MBBS, FRCA, MACM

Flying back to the West coast in March 2018 I noticed the man in the window seat gazing out of the window for a very long time. Eventually he turned to me and said, “what a day, huh?!” I smiled and nodded and asked, “what do you do?”. He said uneasily I’m the CEO of a company that builds automatic software for vehicles. I nodded again a little more knowingly – this week a bad accident had occurred involving a self-drive car. He asked me “what do you do?”. “I’m an executive coach” I said simply. He rolled his eyes and said rather loudly “Coaches, coaches, coaches. Everyone’s a coach these days!”. For a moment I thought about defending the honor of coaches and coaching leaders everywhere and then I decided to behave like a coach. “I know there are more of us around than there used to be... Are you headed home?”. He nodded.
“What are you heading into?
My team is freaked out” he said, quietly.

Sukhman Shergill, MD

In the realm of medicine, I see a myriad of heroes don invisible capes as they strive relentlessly to improve lives. Their stories of compassion, humility and resilience stirred me as I took a front row seat to these chronicles during medical school in India and residency training in the United States. They inspired me to be part of something greater, a purpose that transcended hospital walls and touched lives far and wide. When the opportunity of the SEA-HVO global health traveling fellowship presented itself, I felt that perhaps this could be what I had been looking for. With anticipation and excitement, I prepared for the journey. However, a lingering question remained in the back of my mind – how much of a difference could one person really make?

My adventure was off to a rocky start. While navigating through connecting airports in Vietnam, I almost lost my luggage due to a miscommunication. Thankfully, I avoided having to repeat outfits through the skills learned in residency, of keeping calm while my brain was flooded with adrenaline, helped along by the immense kindness of strangers in this new land. Exhausted yet brimming with enthusiasm, I finally reached my destination, ready to wholeheartedly embrace whatever adventures the next four weeks had in store.

“(The)pristine path (to publication) does not usually exist in the real world of assembling a journal. It is strewn with boulders and potholes called politics, ethics, conflict of interest, tardy review, and, worse, incompetent review.”
-Stuart J. Salasche, MD
Editorial in Dermatologic Surgery

Becoming a peer reviewer is an important role taken on by a scientific professional. Peer review allows for the creation of new knowledge and its dissemination to the wider academic and research communities through publication. This contribution by the scientist is a critical component of the overall publication process and confers added value to a submitted paper. Because academic careers depend on being published in high-quality journals, peer review is both a privilege as well as a great responsibility. The diligent peer reviewer must function as both an “Author Advocate” as well as a “Journal Advocate.”

We are pleased to report the Society for Education in Anesthesia (SEA) Spring Meeting was both well attended and successful, despite unintentionally running concurrently with the 2023 AUA/IARS/SOCCA meetings. There was considerable positive feedback about the meeting location and hotel chosen, most notably that all sessions were held on the same floor thus encouraging mingling among attendees. Thank you to the SEA Meeting Planning Committee for this fantastic hotel choice.

The theme “Going Up! Making Your Case and Supporting Colleagues Through Promotion” was chosen to target younger members and increase involvement within the society, with the thought that senior department leadership may be attending AUA/IARS/SOCCA, and this would ensure meeting success. Our goal was to support educators within the field of anesthesiology in documenting and showing off their successes, as well ask making promotion to associate or full professor achievable by all members.

Let’s keep this short & sweet! We want to provide SEA members with quarterly newsletters that contain educational, inspiring, and interesting pieces. If you have an idea for a submission, or an author, and want to share, please email [email protected]. Feedback is always appreciated. We will continue to issue longer summer and winter editions, and shorter fall/spring pre-meeting editions. Thank you in advance for your attention. Enjoy!

-Michael Majewski, MD
Chair, Publications Committee

Growth and Renewal in 2023

As SEA President, I am grateful for the opportunity to share stories of our Societies growth and renewal that is underway in 2023.

The first half of 2023 has been tumultuous but leaves me filled with optimism for the future. On a personal note, I limped away from a serious car accident in at the end of January but was lucky enough to make a full recovery. Much like the pandemic itself, it left me battered, but not broken. I emerged more grateful and committed than ever to wellbeing, both for myself and our organization. I look around each day and see so much to be thankful for that I am determined to share my good fortune with others, starting here in SEA. Should you need any support, professional or personal, please do not hesitate to reach out to me. Please indulge me now in some “greatest hits” and “coming attractions” that perhaps presage other articles but are meant to augment their impact and celebrate our successes and goals.

Our Iceberg is Melting: Changing and Succeeding Under Any Conditions
John Kotter

Review by Nicholas Cormier, MD, Current CA3 and Chief Resident, Yale Anesthesiology

Health Volunteers Overseas (HVO) is pleased to announce Jo Davies, MBBS, FRCA is a recipient of the eleventh annual HVO Golden Apple Award. As part of its World Health Day observances and in celebration of World Health Worker Week, HVO recognizes the extraordinary contributions of HVO members, volunteers and supporters to HVO’s mission, organization and/or project sites. Each individual honored with this award has demonstrated an impressive commitment to HVO’s mission to improve global health through the education, training, and professional development of the health workforce in resource-scarce countries.

As project director for HVO’s anesthesia training project in Malawi, Dr. Davies has put her heart and soul into ensuring the success of the program—even traveling to the site every 18 months to run the final exams for anesthesia students. Her devotion to the HVO mission has helped foster a strong, sustainable training program in Malawi. In addition to her volunteer assignments, she is currently serving a three-year rotation on HVO’s Anesthesia Steering Committee. In total, she has contributed more than 110 volunteer service days.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
Book author: Rebecca Skloot

This was a book that a good friend gave me just before the trip to the ASA last year. I needed something to read during the long flight to the west coast and this seemed to fit the bill. The book was riveting and managed to keep me engaged, not just on the flight to the ASA, but also on my way back.