Anesthesiology residency training is 4 years in total length, including one intern year (PGY-1) where residents rotate through many medical specialties to form a solid clinical foundation. After intern year is complete, the 3-year anesthesiology training can begin in PGY-2 (also known as CA-1 ).
Anesthesia residencies can either ‘Categorical’ (complete 4-year programs that include the clinical base intern year), or ‘Advanced’ (3-year programs that require completion of a separate intern year). If you apply to ‘Advanced’ programs, you will also need to apply for intern years, which can be at a different location. You can apply and match into the intern year and the advanced training program at the same time when you submit ERAS.
The intern PGY-1 year can be done as a preliminary year in medicine, preliminary year in surgery, or a ‘Transitional Year’ (combination of medicine and surgery) . The transitional year programs are typically the most competitive as they are desirable and often less difficult. The surgical years are considered to be the least competitive and the most demanding. The choice is a personal one, and some people apply to more than one type of program to increase their odds of matching.
Many students apply to both categorical and advanced programs, as well as multiple types of intern years. After interviews, you will be able to rank the intern year (s) you would prefer for each advanced program that you rank.
Fellowships/sub-specialties
There are many fellowships/sub-specialties available after anesthesia residency. Most fellowships require 1-2 additional years of training, depending on whether research time is included. A list of ACGME-accredited anesthesia fellowships is available through the ASA website. Popular fellowships include Critical Care, Pain Medicine, Obstetrics, Pediatrics, and Cardiothoracic Anesthesia.
More information
Most residency programs have websites that list their curriculum, unique features, location information, rotations, hospitals, research and clinical opportunities, salaries, benefits, and more. It is worth taking the time to review these thoroughly when researching which programs to apply to.