Master of Medical Science Program in Anesthesiology

Program Directors
Richard G. Brouillard, Academic Program Director
James R. Hall, Clinical Program Director
Assistant Program Director, Stephanie Dixon
Associate Director of Admissions, Jerri Elder
Education Program Coordinator, April Still
Website: www.emoryaaprogram.org

The Master of Medical Science Program in Anesthesiology is a professional graduate educational program in the Department of Anesthesiology of the Emory University School of Medicine. Individuals who successfully complete this program are awarded a master of medical science degree by Emory University. Graduates of this program function as anesthetists who are integral members of the anesthesia care team lead by an anesthesiologist.

The MMSc Program offers two admissions tracks—a general track for individuals holding a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution of higher learning in the United States and a PA-C track for certified primary care physician assistants who completed their basic science courses at the master’s level.

For the general track students, classroom and clinical education occur during twenty-four continuous months, beginning in late August and culminating with graduation in August (six semesters following matriculation). All didactic, laboratory, and clinical requirements must be met. Since the classroom, laboratory, and clinical activities run continuously for twenty-four months, the program does not follow the University calendar for semester start and end or for vacations and breaks.

For the PA-C track students, classroom and clinical education occur during nineteen continuous months, beginning in January and culminating with graduation in August (five semesters following matriculation). All didactic, laboratory, and clinical requirements must be met. Since the classroom, laboratory, and clinical activities run continuously for nineteen months, the program does not follow the University calendar for semester start and end or for vacations and breaks.

Clinical rotations, which begin during the second week following matriculation, are scheduled in both academic and private practice hospitals—hospitals within the Emory system, hospitals in metropolitan Atlanta, and out-of-town hospitals in Georgia and seventeen other states.

Admission Requirements and Application Process

Current program information and applications can be found online at www.emoryaaprogram.org.

GENERAL TRACK ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

• Baccalaureate degree
• Official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate coursework
• Scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) taken within five years of application
• Three letters of recommendation
• Documentation of familiarity with the practice of anesthesia and the operating room environment.
• Interview at Emory University, Atlanta Georgia
• Prerequisite courses at the baccalaureate level

  Biochemistry§, 1 semester
  Biology, 2 semesters
  Calculus, 1 semester
  Chemistry, 2 semesters
  English, 1 semester
  Organic Chemistry, 1 semester
  Physics, 2 semesters

PA-C TRACK ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

• Current certification by NCCPA
• Official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate coursework
• Must be able to receive credit in transfer for master’s-level courses in human anatomy, physiology, and pharmacology
• Three letters of recommendation
• Interview at Emory University, Atlanta Georgia
• Prerequisite courses at the baccalaureate level

  Biochemistry§, 1 semester
  Biology, 2 semesters
  Calculus, 1 semester
  Chemistry, 2 semesters
  English, 1 semester
  Organic Chemistry, 1 semester
  Physics, 2 semesters

• Prerequisite courses at the master’s level

  Anatomy, 1 semester
  Biochemistry§, 1 semester
  Pharmacology, 1 semester
  Physiology, 1 semester

Clinical rotations in medicine, surgery, pediatrics, obstetrics

§Biochemistry may be taken at the baccalaureate or master’s level.

Note: Graduates of colleges and universities outside the United States should contact the Program Office for additional guidelines.

Technical Standards

Applicants to the Master of Medical Science Program in Anesthesiology must be aware that to undertake and successfully complete the Anesthesiology Program, as well as successfully function as an anesthetist after graduation, requires that an individual meet certain fundamental physical, cognitive, and behavioral standards. The requisite technical skills include but are not limited to the following:

• Effectively communicating verbally with patients and their family members and with other health care professionals.
• Interacting with patients, including obtaining a history and performing a physical examination.
• Effectively communicating in writing and by record keeping those data and information essential to the practice of anesthesia and the care of patients in general.
• Reading and comprehending written parts of the medical record and other patient care documents in order to safely and effectively participate in the practice of anesthesia.
• Having sufficient knowledge, motor skills, and coordination to perform diagnostic and therapeutic tasks including invasive procedures, on patients in a timely manner so as to insure the safety and well-being of the patients. These tasks include but are not limited to peripheral and central venous catheterization, arterial puncture and cannulation, bag-and-mask ventilation, laryngeal mask airway insertion and management, endotracheal intubation.
• Having sufficient strength, motor skill, and coordination to lift, move, and position patients as required for administration of anesthesia and performance of cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
• Having sufficient speed and coordination to quickly and safely react to emergent conditions throughout the hospital in order to order to assure patient safety.
• Recognizing and differentiating colors of signals displayed on monitors; being able to work in both light and dark conditions as exist in patient care areas (eg, operating room, radiology suite, endoscopy suite); being able to recognize details of objects both near and far.
• Hearing, processing, and interpreting multiple conversations, monitor signals, alarms, and patient sounds simultaneously in fast-paced patient care settings (e.g., operating room, intensive care unit, emergency room).
• Having no impairment that would preclude continuous performance of all of the above activities or any and all of the other activities that are an integral part of an anesthesiologist assistant’s participation in the anesthesia care team.

Matriculants are advised that if at any time during their enrollment in the degree program they realize that they are unable to meet any of the technical standards, they must contact a program director immediately so that appropriate follow-up can be instituted.

Continuation Requirements

Requirements for promotion from semester to semester are published in the program’s Student Handbook, a copy of which is provided each year to incoming students at registration. The program’s Progress and Promotions Committee reviews every student’s progress each semester and makes recommendations to the program directors concerning continuation.

Curriculum

The curriculum in both tracks of the Master of Medical Science Program is dynamic. Please consult the program’s website, www.emoryaaprogram.org, for up-to-date information.

Course Descriptions

REQUIRED COURSES

ANES 505A, B, C. Instrumentation/Physiology/Pharmacology Lab I, II, III
Credit, 1 hour each. Basic and advanced monitoring systems. Bench and computer-based instruction and testing of cardiovascular, respiratory, neuro, neuromuscular, and renal physiology and pharmacology.

ANES 506A, B. Anesthesiology Lab I, II
Credit, 1, 4 hours. Anesthesia setup in OR. Basic and advanced monitoring. Bench and computer-based instruction and testing of physiologic systems and pharmacologic applications. Introductory clinical experience.

ANES 512A, B. Principles of Airway Management I, II
Credit, 1, 2 hours. Structure, function, pathophysiology, and diseases of the human airway. Basic and advanced principles of elective and emergent airway management, including equipment and techniques.

ANES 513. Anesthesia Delivery Systems and Equipment
Credit, 2 hours. Compressed gases, gas distribution systems, anesthesia machines, breathing circuits, anesthesia ventilators, waste-gas scavenging and pollution monitoring, risk management, critical incidents in anesthesia, resuscitation equipment.

ANES 516A, B. Pharmacology in Anesthesia Practice I, II
Credit, 1 hour each. Drugs specifically related to the practice of anesthesia, including inhaled anesthetics, narcotics, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, anticholinesterases and anticholinergics, neuromuscular blockers, adrenergic agonists and antagonists.

ANES 530. Physics for Anesthesia Practice
Credit, 2 hours. Physical principles and processes applied to the practice of anesthesia. Dimensional analysis; work, energy, and power; gas laws; fluid mechanics; heat transfer; vaporization; solubility, diffusion, and osmosis; fires and explosions; laser and x-ray radiation; applied electric circuit theory; time constants.

ANES 535A, B. Principles of Instrumentation, Monitoring, and Equipment I, II
Credit, 2 hours each. Principles, application, and interpretation of monitoring used in anesthesia practice: ECG; invasive and noninvasive blood pressure; oximetry; cardiac output; respiratory gases; ventilation; ICP; EEG; temperature; renal function; coagulation; neuromuscular blockade; ECHO.

ANES 536A. Anesthesiology Practice I
Credit, 2 hours. History of anesthesia; types of anesthesia; anesthesia care team; universal precautions and infection control; OR layout and anesthesia setup; sterile fields, gowning and gloving; suturing; professionalism; intravenous catheterization; intravenous fluids; arterial cannulation; ASA-standard monitors; induction, maintenance, and emergence from anesthesia. Includes entry-level examination on medical terminology, symbols, medical word formation, disease terms, abbreviations, and procedures.

ANES 536B, C. Anesthesiology Practice II, III
Credit, 4 hours each. Systems-based approach to physiology and pathophysiology in anesthesia practice, including the effects of the administration of general and regional anesthesia. Emphasizes the integration of perioperative evaluation, planning, and anesthetic management for surgical patients.

ANES 540. Clinical Methods
Credit, 2 hours. Preoperative patient evaluation, including history taking, physical examination, chart review, and select laboratory and radiologic testing.

ANES 561A, B, C. Clinical Anesthesia I, II, III
Credit, 2 hours each. Foundations of the clinical practice of anesthesia gained through one-on-one supervised instruction in the operating room and other clinical locations.

ANES 611A, B, C. Senior Seminar in Anesthesia I, II, III
Credit, 1 hour each. Student case presentations. Selected topics in hazards and complications. Literature review.

ANES 660A, B, C. Clinical Anesthesia I, II, III
Credit, 10 hours each. Clinical rotations in anesthesia, including all subspecialty areas; preop clinic; and acute pain service.

ANES 670A, B, C. Clinical Anesthesia I, II, III
Credit, 14 hours each. Clinical rotations in anesthesia, including all subspecialty areas; preop clinic; and acute pain service.

ANES 692A, B, C. Anesthesiology Conference I, II, III
Credit, 1 hour each. Lectures, discussions, and case presentations by faculty, staff, and students. Occurs at all clinical rotation sites.

Elective Opportunities

ANES 596R. Individual Tutorial
Credit, variable. Provides opportunity for in-depth study of a curricular topic under the direction of a faculty member.

ANES 597R. Individual Directed Study
Credit, variable. Provides opportunity for in-depth study of a noncurricular topic under the direction of a faculty member.

ANES 695R. Individual Clinical Practicum
Credit, variable. Provides opportunity for clinical experience in a subspecialty area under the direction of a faculty member.

ANES 697R. Individual Directed Study
Credit, variable. Provides opportunity for advanced study under the direction of a faculty member.

ANES 699R. Individual Research
Credit, variable. Provides opportunity for laboratory or clinical research under the direction of a faculty member.

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