Hello and welcome to the UC Davis Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine residency program. As the chief residents, we would like to share with you several aspects of our program that make it an outstanding place to train for a career as an anesthesiologist. The core of our program are the faculty, residents, and staff who build relationships based on trust, respect for one another, a curiosity to learn, willingness to help, and a desire to improve the service we provide to our patients. We expect every resident to carry this sense of professionalism and feel an equal sense of support.

Our team of residents and faculty members is diverse. Our cultures and nationalities span the globe and our professional backgrounds range from former engineers, researchers, and business professionals. These experiences have paved a "nontraditional" path in medicine that welcomes a progressive culture, acceptance of change, and vision to pursue new ways to better serve our patients.

UC Davis Medical Center (UCDMC) has undergone dramatic change since we joined the team in 2010. The hospital has expanded to include a new emergency department, neurosurgical, cardiothoracic, and burn intensive care units, a post anesthesia care unit, and 24 state-of-the-art operating rooms where residents now care for patients undergoing advanced subspecialty procedures. We provide care for approximately 100 elective procedures daily between these new operating rooms, 10 operating rooms divided between our children's surgery center, outpatient same day surgery center, and obstetrics ward, and multiple ancillary sites throughout the campus. The growth has leveraged our ability to provide services as a leading referral center for the most seriously injured or ill patients, and the most medically complex cases in a region covering 33 counties. We are the only level 1 trauma center for both adult and pediatric emergencies in inland Northern California. Residents also rotate at our outpatient same day surgery center, chronic pain and preoperative clinics, and spend several months at Shriner's Hospital of Northern California. Located next to the UCDMC, Shriner's Hospital is an 80-bed orthopedic, burn, and spinal cord injury rehabilitation hospital that treats children from all over the country and the world. Residents also have the opportunity to serve 2-weeks abroad in a developing country on a rotaplast rotation - where they function as anesthesia providers for pediatric patients undergoing reconstructive craniofacial procedures.

Despite the high volume of cases at our hospitals, our residency class remains a "mid" size - accredited for 14 residents per year. The combination of high operating room volume, limited residency size, and CRNA coverage affords residents exposure to the highest yield and most complex cases. As our level of experience and responsibility grows throughout residency, so too does our confidence and the realization that we are able to provide the highest quality of care to our patients - whatever the circumstances. This year, nearly half of our class is pursuing or have secured fellowship positions. The subspecialty teams here have an infectious passion for their work, high level of competency and knowledge, and dedication to advancing their fields and improving the standard of care for their patients. Equally impressive are the faculty members from the private practice community who rotate through our main operating rooms and offer their time to train residents and model their unique practices outside of the academic setting.

Finally, we want to let you know that Sacramento is a great place to work, raise a family, and enjoy life outside of the hospital. Many of the communities in the Sacramento area are safe, easy to access, affordable, and a perfect starting point to access all that California has to offer. Sacramento has many entertainment and shopping experiences and numerous attractions and events centered around the arts. Our residents are experienced travelers to wine country, the coast, the American River for a day of rafting, the mountains for a trip hiking or fishing, and we enjoy the winter and summer activities at nearby Lake Tahoe.

We believe that, ultimately, residents who join our team at UC Davis will get out of residency what they put into the residency program. At UC Davis you have the opportunity to join a fantastic team and have meaningful relationships with your colleagues, work hard, enjoy a rewarding lifestyle with your family and friends, and meet every expectation you set toward becoming an anesthesiologist. Thank you for your interest. We look forward to visiting with you during the application process and answering any questions you may have about our program.

Sincerely,

Matt Stanich
Lawrence Ong
Chief Residents 2012-2013
UC Davis Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine