The Anesthesia Clerkship Rotation is a 2-week rotation with the following goals:

• To teach the basic skills of airway and circulatory management
• To teach the clinical application of physiology and pharmacology in anesthesia
• To instill an appreciation for the multifaceted specialty of anesthesia

The rotation is designed to combine experiential learning in both the simulated and clinical setting. There is an average of 9 clerks per rotation and a total of 16 rotations throughout the year.

The first week of the rotation, "Simulation Week" runs from the first Monday to Thursday and includes: group instruction, lectures, and problem-based tutorials on preoperative assessment, pharmacology of anesthetic agents, regional anesthesia, special considerations for obstetric, pediatric and geriatric groups, as well as hands-on workshops and simulator teaching on airway management, intravenous fluid therapy, circulatory management and monitoring modes. The purpose of the first week is to cover broad theoretical basis of anesthesia as well as practical hands-on introduction to the OR, basic airway and iv skills, and monitoring equipment. This will allow clerks to gain a more standardized knowledge base prior to the following "Clinical Week", and thus be able to make more efficient use of the clinical resources in the second week.

The second week of the rotation, "Clinical Week" runs from the first Friday until the second Thursday of the rotation. Clerks are hospital-based and daily operating room assignments are made by the senior anesthesia resident for each site. The last Friday of the rotation involves an interactive session in the simulator center where the clerk will be able to apply the skills and knowledge acquired during the rotation. The purpose of the second week is the clinical application of knowledge and skills acquired in the first week.

Evaluation is based on daily performance evaluations and a multiple choice question exam. This rotation is taught by a multidisciplinary team, including anesthesia residents, anesthesia staff, and the respiratory therapy department. This rotation also allows increased teaching and mentoring opportunities for anesthesia residents.