2023 | Summer Issue

As has been evident in both word and deed, the AUA has evolved from a purely honorific society to one that is increasingly active in contributing to academic anesthesiology. In other words, we no longer just recognize excellence, we also promote it.

This year’s AUA meeting was a fantastic compilation of various activities for the academic anesthesiologist and included panels on different topics of interest, posters, and oral presentations by award winners. The Educational Advisory Board (EAB) had a significant presence at the AUA meeting. They hosted two 60-minute panels on topics that were very relevant and applicable to those who teach and train residents, fellows and faculty.

Over the past decade, the average number of applications to Anesthesiology residency programs has climbed to over 65 applications per applicant and over 1400 applications per program. This increase in application numbers has not improved match rates and resulted in application congestion. As a result, programs may filter applications using metrics (such as USMLE Step Scores, clerkship grades, and reputation of medical schools) that may not identify the best residents for their program.  A more transparent, equitable, and reliable system for communicating applicant preferences to residency programs is critical.

The Women Networking Session was established in 2020 as a moderated forum open to AUA members and meeting participants. It is designed to build a community of women in academic anesthesiology, to share the professional and personal challenges faced on a career path, and to explore strategic solutions to those challenges. It was held on April 14^th and was attended by 40 participants.

The early 1990s saw a shift in national healthcare policy with a focus on primary care and capitated payment models, igniting apprehension about the future of specialized medicine, elective surgery, and anesthesiology. These and other concerns were reflected in the 622 unfilled anesthesiology residency positions in the 1996 Match, and Match trends did not stabilize until the early 2000s (Figure 1). Despite initial concerns, demand for anesthesiologists escalated, resulting in workforce shortfalls that continue to shape academic anesthesiology.

It gives us great pleasure, as members and Co-chairs of the Association of University of Anesthesiologists (AUA) Membership Engagement Advisory Board (MEB), to introduce our committee to the AUA. The MEB has several initiatives to meet the goals of the latest inaugural board of the AUA.

“The art and science of asking questions is the source of all human knowledge.”

These words from the writer Thomas Berger (no relation to me) nicely capture my views on scientific research. Although we teach our residents at length about pharmacology, physiology, and other relevant topics, I believe the most important things to notice as an aspiring perioperative researcher are the things we do not yet know, and the things we do not yet understand, about the practice of anesthesiology.

This year’s AUA Junior Faculty Research Award winner in the Clinical Science Category was presented to Dr. Yiyang (Laura) Zhang, MD, PhD for her groundbreaking work on the connection between postoperative delirium and changes in the gut microbiome. Dr. Zhang is an Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology at Massachusetts General Hospital and is the PI of a National Institutes of Aging grant on dysbiosis and postoperative delirium. She presented her work, along with other award winners, in a well-attended public lecture on April 13th at the AUA meeting.