Anxious People

Dr. Sukhman Shergill

When someone can make mundane things seem interesting to you, that for me is a mark of a great writer. And one such favorite of mine is Fredrik Backman and his book called Anxious People. Fredrik is a NY Times bestselling author who comes from Sweden and is also a columnist and a blogger. His works have been published in more than 40 countries all over. Through his works of fiction, he focuses on the essence of being a human while navigating life, in a very uplifting way which makes for great bedtime read.

Anxious people is a tragicomic tale set in a small town of Sweden, where a series of events unfold on New Year’s eve. His story is character focused and goes back and forth between multiple characters giving the book a quick pace, but since he tackles a complex storyline with greatly lucid writing, it is easy to keep up. The story starts as a robbery that turns into a hostage situation, and when you imagine it going in one direction the plot pivots in the most unexpected and poignant ways. The narrative revolves around the stories of the characters which are - a robber, the policemen and the hostages and what a situation can bring out of different people.

Titilopemi Aina-Jones, MD, MPH, FASA

K. Karisa Walker, MD, MEd

SEA 2023 Fall Meeting Re-Cap 

The 2023 Society for Education in Anesthesia (SEA) Fall Meeting, held on Thursday, November 2nd, 2023, at the Swissotel Chicago, was an outstanding meeting. There were more than 200 attendees! The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with comments about the high-quality educational sessions and valuable networking opportunities.

A Double Edged Sword: How Technology is Shaping Anesthesiology Residency

Anesthesiology has evolved significantly since the days of chloroform induction and the copper kettle. Technological advancements have given us the ability to gather real time intraoperative data to provide personalized, safe and effective medical care. The emergence of the electronic medical record (EMR), paging systems, and ultrasound particularly affect anesthesiology trainees given frequent use of these technologies to provide anesthetic care and I want to spend some time reflecting on the implications for the modern trainee. While beneficial in many regards, the hardware and software technology we rely upon to provide anesthesia daily is not without fault, and has subtle negative consequences that are often overlooked or hard to appreciate.

The EMR and web based, two-way paging systems have exponentially improved medical care. A modern EMR allows for seamless, concise, and efficient record keeping. It also facilitates sharing of information about patient care across specialties and disciplines. Also, providers can easily evaluate prior anesthetics and anticipate potential complications in upcoming surgeries without needing to visit medical records to pull paper charts. Paging systems accelerate communication between trainees and members of the care team such as attending physicians, nurses, and pharmacists. Attending physicians are more rapidly notified of intraoperative events due to the use of EMR and paging systems as well.

A Discussion of Evolving Modalities in Medical Education for Anesthesiology Residents

Rahul Kukreja

Jeremy Tang M.D.

Benjamin Landgraf M.D.

Alopi Patel M.D.

The field of education in anesthesiology has undergone significant changes in recent years. Anesthesiology trainees now engage in many different learning styles and use a multitude of educational resources. Understanding and incorporating these various learning modalities is important not only for effective residency training but also for improving patient outcomes, quality of care, and clinical revenue.^1,2

Welcome to another addition of the SEA newsletter!

It’s been a wildly productive year from SEA on many fronts. While all committees have been amazing, I’ll hit just a few highlights here and invite you to peruse the newsletter.

First a shoutout to Bryan Mahoney and Dave Stahl, the masterminds behind the PD’s at SEA podcast. This series has been tackling several key issues in our specialty with intelligence, wit, and humor. I strongly suggest that you check it out if you have not yet.