The Anesthesiology/Emergency Medicine Combined Residency: Defining a New Future for Trauma Resuscitation

As management of patients in extremis becomes increasingly complex, the need for a resuscitation consultant is apparent. This physician must be able to provide and/or coordinate care for the acutely ill and injured patient across the continuum of care; from presentation to definitive care to disposition. The resuscitation consultant produced by a residency in anesthesiology and emergency medicine will capitalize on the complementary strengths of both programs; a 60-month residency will offer board eligibility in both specialties. The first (PGY-1) year will be spent as an intern on the emergency medicine service and the second (PGY-2) year will be spent on the anesthesiology service as a clinical anesthesiology-1 resident. The remaining 3 years will be split into 18 months each of anesthesiology and emergency medicine. Approval of the program in anesthesiology and emergency medicine by appropriate governing bodies is a pre-requisite for program establishment. While medical students will determine the success of the program in anesthesiology and emergency medicine (for it is they who are the prospective applicants to the program), it is the patient who will be the beneficiary of a uniquely trained resuscitation consultant. A physician who is at ease diagnosing undifferentiated disease, managing resuscitation in the operating room or interventional radiology suite and managing the critically ill patient throughout the care continuum will define the future specialty.