Opinion

Communication in Perioperative Education

In a recent meeting with the family of a critically ill patient, we deliberated about pursuing an aggressive operation to control the source of sepsis. Because the surgeon was not able to attend the meeting, a resident came in his place; at one point I asked the resident to describe the procedure in question.

To my surprise, the surgical resident described not only the technicalities of the procedure, but also outlined several additional considerations: the likely outcome, the relevant concerns, the alternative options, and how all of the above fit into the patient’s current condition. The resident spoke clearly, included relevant facts, and used language that was readily understandable to the anxious family members. Equally important, the resident’s manner was engaging and compassionate.

I later learned that this particular resident had recently participated in a communication skills training program.¹ In this program, small groups used role play to practice and to generate real-time feedback. Residents assessed their own preparedness before and after the session, and they reported high satisfaction and frequent subsequent opportunities for application. In this case, I witnessed these skills used in an actual encounter, in which the resident’s communication guided decision-making and supported the family.

Education Workshop in Karachi Pakistan

Zulfiqar Ahmed, MD, FAAP
Siromed/Anesthesia Associates of Ann Arbor
Director of Education and Pediatric Anesthesia
Wayne State University Anesthesia Residency Program
St Joseph Mercy Oakland Hospital
Pontiac, MI

After much discussion and deliberation, the Society for Education in Anesthesia (SEA) Board of Directors has made the difficult decision to cancel the SEA 2020 Spring Meeting originally scheduled for May 8-10, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

 Our SEA team, like many of you, have been eagerly anticipating and preparing for the SEA 2020 Spring Meeting. We are proud of the educational and professional growth opportunity our meetings give to all who attend. Due to the recent developments and many unknowns surrounding the ongoing spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) we feel our priority must focus on the safety of those who attend and the communities they serve. We have received cancellations from numerous speakers and workshop hosts who live in New York, California and Pennsylvania (to name a few) due to policies in their home institutions. Some of the policies are precluding them from gathering in groups of even 10-30 people (obviously much smaller than anticipated attendance at SEA). These unprecedented travel restrictions would most certainly compromise the quality of the education and training that SEA is known for. While these meetings are important, they simply cannot take precedence over the health and wellbeing of our members and their communities.

Health Volunteers Overseas (HVO), in collaboration with the Society for Education in Anesthesia (SEA), is pleased to share that ten anesthesia residents will receive a 2020 SEA-HVO Traveling Fellowship.

2019 - A Year of Change and Collaboration

The SEA Nominating Committee (Chaired by Immediate Past-President Michael R. Sandison, MD – [email protected]) is seeking candidates for the following positions on the Society for Education in Anesthesia Board of Directors:

• Director (Three Positions - Two Year Term)

If you are interested in running for one of the positions, please send a short letter of intent to Andrew Bronson, CAE ([email protected]) and Michael R. Sandison, MD ([email protected]) by Friday, April 19, 2019. Self-nominations for these positions will also be accepted during the Business Meeting held at the SEA Spring Meeting on Friday, April 26, 2019. The slate of nominees will also be finalized at the Business Meeting.

Integration and Diversity
Creating Diverse Teams, Building Exceptional Leaders

Elizabeth Ellinas, MD and Herodotos Ellinas, MD
Medical College of Wisconsin

We were very pleased to present a program that explored aspects of diversity in the setting of anesthesiology education. The speakers surpassed our expectations, the attendees were supportive of many controversial topic discussions, and of course, Denver is an exciting place to visit.

The SEA Fall Annual Business Meeting is scheduled for Thursday, November 7, 2019 at 12:00pm (Central) during the SEA Fall Meeting at the Swissotel Chicago in Chicago, Illinois.

Items on the agenda include:

• Approval of April 26, 2019 Business Meeting Minutes
• Announcement of SEA 2019 Election Results
• Committee Reports
• Updates and Announcements

The SEA Nominating Committee (Chaired by Immediate Past-President Michael R. Sandison, MD) has identified the following candidates to run in this year’s election for the Society for Education in Anesthesia Board of Directors:

Vice President / President-Elect (One Position – Two Year Term)

The SEA Fall Annual Business Meeting is scheduled for Friday, October 2, 2020 at 1:00pm (Eastern) during the SEA Fall Meeting to be held via Zoom Webinar.

Items on the agenda include:

• Approval of November 7, 2019 Business Meeting Minutes
• Announcement of SEA 2020 Election Results
• Committee Reports

Beth Ladlie, MD, MPH	Kristen Vanderhoef, MD

Good afternoon SEA members and guests! We are excited to welcome you to the sunshine state. We are happy to report that April tends to be a beautiful month in Jacksonville, with average high temperatures reaching nearly 80 degrees and plenty of sunshine. Be sure to pack your beach gear!

I feel fortunate to have grown up in Jacksonville and the surrounding area and can’t wait to share our beautiful city with all of you. I’ve had the pleasure of working at both of our wonderful medical centers, Mayo Clinic Florida and the University of Florida Jacksonville. The medical centers vary greatly, which we have used to our advantage for our anesthesiology residency programs.

Health Volunteers Overseas (HVO), in collaboration with the Society for Education in Anesthesia (SEA), is pleased to share that eight anesthesia residents will receive a 2019 SEA-HVO Traveling Fellowship.

The recipients are: 

Health Volunteers Overseas (HVO), in collaboration with the Society for Education in Anesthesia (SEA), is pleased to share that ten anesthesia residents will receive a 2018 SEA-HVO Traveling Fellowship.

The recipients are: Hassan Aboumerhi, MD (University of Chicago); Brenton Alexander, MD (University of California, San Diego); Praba Boominathan, MD (Yale University); Michael Do, MD, MBA (University of California, San Francisco); Cara Ann Iorianni , MD (Emory University School of Medicine); Oneychi Megafu, MBBS (Drexel University College of Medicine); Jose Navas-Blanco, MD (Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit); Samuel Percy, MD (University of Washington Medical Center); Andrew Rivera-Hober, MD (New York Presbyterian Hospital); and David Rudnick, MD (Massachusetts General Hospital).

In advance of our 33rd Spring Meeting, we are pleased to provide a membership update. The figures in this update are tentative, as they may change before the final count.

We anticipate 198 people to attend the 33rd Spring Meeting in Louisville; this includes 22 residents. Our entire membership roster currently includes 330 members, of whom 56 are either residents or fellows.

We would like to cordially invite you to the SEA 34th Spring Meeting, which will be held at the Hilton Denver City Center, Denver CO, April 26-28, 2019. This year’s theme is “Integration and Diversity: Creating Diverse Teams, Building Exceptional Leaders.” The meeting will celebrate the diversity in anesthesiology teams, and share supports for further integration, especially in leadership roles.

We look forward to a keynote address by Renee Navarro, Vice Chancellor of Diversity and Outreach for the University of California San Francisco, and one of the few anesthesiologists serving in such a role. She will share with us the current and potential future state of anesthesiology as we continue to build diverse teams. We further welcome nationally known speakers on the topics of student and resident admissions and education, integrating advanced practice providers, and assisting and welcoming members of the LGBTQ community. We are exceptionally pleased to welcome three women anesthesiology departmental chairs to share their thoughts on women’s leadership in anesthesiology.

The SEA Spring Annual Business Meeting is scheduled for Friday, April 26, 2019 at 12:00pm (Mountain) during the SEA Spring Meeting at the Hilton Denver City Center in Denver, Colorado.

Items on the agenda include:

• Approval of October 12, 2018 Business Meeting Minutes
• Nominations for SEA Board of Directors
• Committee Reports
• Updates and Announcements