Academic anesthesiologists have been the foundational cornerstone of anesthesiology for advancing the specialty and providing for the future and critical need for trained personnel. Over 25 years ago, Dr. David Longnecker said, “We have the opportunity, to set the course for this discipline, especially during this interval of fundamental change in our health care system. We can stay the course, or we can change. I think you know my choice. I concur with Yogi Berra, who said ‘When you come to a fork in the road, take it’” (Anesthesiology 1997;86:736-42). We are still undergoing significant changes in our health care system, and academic anesthesiology departments are instrumental in training the next generation of anesthesiologists to lead this change.
Most academic anesthesiology programs train not only physicians but also a significant number of allied health care professionals, including nurse anesthetists and anesthesiologist assistants. Approximately 30% of recently trained anesthesiologists...
