Thank you for your interest in the IU School of Medicine Anesthesiology Residency program! We are thrilled that you want to learn more about our program and all that the great city of Indianapolis has to offer. As the only anesthesiology residency in the state of Indiana, our training opportunities for residents are completely unopposed. We are one of the largest, oldest and most respected programs in the country. Our program was first accredited by the ACGME in 1973 when Robert K. Stoelting, MD, was chair. The program and department pride themselves on their rich history of training and producing excellent clinical anesthesia consultants that choose to go on to practice in both academic and private practice groups across the United States.
During your time at IU School of Medicine, you will be exposed to the entire depth and breadth of the field of anesthesiology. No day is ever the same as residents deliver anesthesia services for every possible type of surgery and procedure. Our patient pathology is robust across five downtown tertiary care Indianapolis hospitals. The scope covers everything from healthy ASA 1/2 outpatients, ASA 4/5 critically ill inpatients, high volume blunt and penetrating trauma at three Level-1 trauma centers, an active transplant service (liver, kidney, pancreas, multi-visceral, heart, lung), high-risk OB and over four months of pediatric training over the course of the three year program. In addition to excellent clinical training, this program maintains a strong focus on work-life balance displayed in the unique camaraderie among the residents, a resident wellness committee, encouraging and engaged faculty, state-of-the-art simulation lab, TEE/POCUS training, comprehensive didactics and exam preparation (often 100% pass rate on basic and advanced board exams), quarterly downtown journal club at a pub, a transition to practice rotation just prior to graduating and a family-friendly environment. Residents all participate in scholarly activities and many present yearly at both national and regional conferences with paid attendance, travel and lodging covered by our department.
We are a program of nearly 90 residents, yet every resident has a voice. New for 2024, leadership positions were created to provide more opportunities for our residents to gain valuable skills while improving our program. These residents help with coordinating and managing internal anesthesia moonlighting, social media accounts, wellness activities, medical student rotations, intermural sports, journal club and residency recruitment. Diversity, equity, inclusion and justice are cornerstones of our program’s philosophy. The anesthesia department’s DEIJ committee ensures a safe, warm and welcoming environment for both residents and faculty. Additional advantages of being part of a large academic institution include a competitive GME salary, free parking at all hospitals, free on-call meals, over $500 of anesthesia textbook allowance a year, free TrueLearn exam preparation question banks, yearly paid ASA and ISA memberships and free health insurance for residents and family.
Over the course of your three years at IU School of Medicine, you will gain critical skills, confidence and autonomy that will carry you well beyond residency. As a CA-1, residents attend orientation bootcamp where they meet their co-residents and rapidly learn basic anesthetic knowledge through simulation prior to starting in the OR. During CA-1 year, clinical work will mostly focus on general adult anesthesia but will also offer early exposure to high complexity cases and early regional opportunities. Your CA-2 and CA-3 years will dig deeper into sub-specialty anesthesia, including OB, pediatrics, acute regional and chronic pain, cardiovascular anesthesia, thoracic anesthesia and neuroanesthesia, as well as covering the SICU. The training you receive at IU School of Medicine will lead you to not only become a decisive and confident anesthesiologist but ultimately a leader of the perioperative sphere.
Life as an IU resident doesn’t stop when you leave the hospital. The city of Indianapolis offers something for everyone! Whether cheering on the Colts, Pacers, Fever or Indians or exploring the expansive culinary scene, there is always something fun to do during your time off. In addition to being one of the most physician-friendly states, Indiana has a very low cost of living. Families will enjoy the variety of kid-friendly activities including the Indianapolis Zoo, the world’s largest Children’s Museum and the three-mile canal walk. Some residents choose to live downtown in the city while others have manageable commutes from areas like Zionsville, Carmel, Fishers and Greenwood. Whether you’re taking in a movie on the Newfields Art Museum lawn, cheering on your favorite driver at the Indianapolis 500 or tasting your way through the city at Devour Indy, Indianapolis will feel like home in no time.
We hope you are as excited about our program as we are and look forward to meeting you soon!
Aaron Costlow, MD, Victor Progar, MD, and Alvin Vleck, MD
