Welcome to the Anesthesiology Residency Program at Baylor College of Medicine! Thank you for taking an interest in our program. We are excited to show you why we are proud to call Baylor home!
Baylor College of Medicine is situated in the heart of the Texas Medical Center—the largest medical center in the world. As anesthesiology residents at Baylor, our training spans seven clinical sites. The extensive wealth of experiences provided to all trainees results in graduates who are well-versed in caring for diverse patient populations in a vast variety of settings.
After your intern year, you will begin your Clinical Anesthesiology 1 (CA-1) training at Ben Taub Hospital, a Level 1 trauma center and county hospital that serves Harris County. At this site, we take care of diverse and complex patients who not only enhance our medical knowledge but also instill in us an appreciation of healthcare inequality and its impact on population health. Ben Taub Hospital is considered the home base of our department, and we return to this site multiple times during our training to complete rotations in general, trauma, cardiac, neurosurgical, regional, remote, and high-risk obstetrical anesthesiology. The Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) is the second-largest veterans hospital in the nation with over 20 cutting-edge operating rooms and procedural suites. As CA-1s at the VAMC, we have the privilege of caring for our nation’s heroes, many of whom require highly specialized anesthetic care. You will also have an opportunity to serve our Veterans at the VAMC chronic and interventional pain management clinic as a CA-2.
The CA-2 year revolves around the subspecialties and includes rotations at VAMC, Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center (BSLMC), Texas Heart Institute (THI), Texas Children’s Hospital (TCH), and MD Anderson Cancer Center. Our CA-2 year encompasses both academic and private practice models. During our time at St. Luke’s Medical center, we are exposed to neuroanesthesia in a private practice setting. This allows us to focus on efficiency while getting great exposure to a wide variety of intracranial procedures. At the historic Texas Heart Institute, founded by Dr. Denton Cooley, we learn the fundamentals of performing anesthesia for cardiothoracic and transplant surgery. Here you will see plenty of TAVRs, CABGs, transplants (liver, kidney, lung, and heart), and more. We also learn to care for these patients in the immediate postoperative period while on the BSLMC ICU rotation. Texas Children's Hospital is one of the leading children’s hospitals in the world. At this site, we learn to provide anesthetic care for procedures ranging from children with single-ventricle physiology, neuromuscular scoliosis, and rare metabolic derangements to routine tonsillectomies and appendectomies. We also have a unique opportunity to take a pediatric regional anesthesia elective at Texas Children’s West Campus. Finally, we have the opportunity to rotate at the world-renowned MD Anderson Cancer Center. We rotate in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit and on the Acute Pain Service. On the acute pain service rotation, we learn advanced regional techniques, such as thoracic epidurals and lumbar erector spinae catheters as well as comprehensive opioid management for cancer patients. Later in our training, we have an opportunity for a neuroanesthesia rotation at MD Anderson, getting to spend time in the operating room performing anesthesia for awake craniotomies and other tumor resections. During the second half of the CA-2 year, residents begin taking on the role of senior resident during trauma and OB call at Ben Taub Hospital, learning the important skills of OR boardrunning, responding to overnight STAT airways and Code 1’s at the hospital, and effectively managing and supervising junior trainees.
After the rigorous subspecialty exposure and introduction to senior duties of CA-2 year, our CA-3s spend their time fine-tuning their subspecialty and leadership skills as they prepare to become fellows and attendings. We are proud of our graduates who match into top-notch fellowships and land amazing jobs after leaving Baylor. While our clinical training is robust, we firmly believe in a strong foundation of knowledge and skills outside of the OR as well. Protected time for lectures and simulation training is provided to all residents during their CA-1 through CA-3 years. The value we place on education is reflected in our residents’ outstanding performance on board exams. Our residents are involved in QI projects, Grand Rounds presentations, and scholarly conference activities. There are opportunities to participate in global health activities as well, with annual mission trips to Guatemala and the Dominican Republic.
Without a doubt, the heart and soul of our program lie in our faculty and residents. We are a tight-knit bunch. We also have a house system that promotes residency social events and provides a framework for mentorship.
Outside of work, we are never short of great places to enjoy. Houston is a fun and affordable place to live as a single person or as a family unit. It is the fourth-largest city and one of the most diverse and multicultural melting pots of America. If you love to eat, Houston is definitely for you! You can find delicious bites from any corner of the world. The Texas Medical Center is just minutes away from live music, museums, parks, farmer’s markets, zoos, and of course, bars and restaurants. There are always events to check out at the NRG Stadium or the Toyota Center (including major sports events and the annual Houston Livestock & Rodeo). No matter where you come from, Houston has something for you, and we have no doubt that you will soon feel at home too.
We are so happy you are interested in our program. If you have any questions at all, don’t be shy—feel free to reach out to us and we will be happy to help!
Clarissa, Ryan and Simon
