Tulane Department of Anesthesiology has been collaborating with the A.B. Freeman School of Business for nearly a decade to provide our residents the unique opportunity of acquiring a Masters in Business Administration during residency. This program was first of its kind in the country and has at least one new resident enroll each year. Our innovative program allows future leaders in healthcare to receive additional training in practical aspects of the complex and ever changing medical field. In addition to world class clinical exposure, residents will obtain proficiency in navigating the administrative roles as our profession continues to extend outside of the operating room.
Due to the increased commitment and responsibility required to successfully complete this program, our department requires interested residents to demonstrate strong academic and clinical competency. The application process begins in the residents' first year, with the MBA program itself beginning in January of the CA-1 year.
It is the intent of Tulane’s Department of Anesthesiology to be a national leader in the development of Practice Management Education for anesthesia residents, and, to that end, we are proud to offer this groundbreaking educational opportunity.
The opportunity to simultaneously complete an anesthesiology residency and pursue advanced education through the A.B. Freeman School of Business is completely unique to Tulane University. While it is certainly not easy to balance the responsibilities of being a resident in anesthesiology along with the demands of M.B.A. coursework, it is an opportunity that, for me, was too good to pass up. In a world where physicians are increasingly expected to take on additional responsibilities outside of their clinical work, an education and training in business will provide me with the knowledge and leadership skills to advance my career beyond the operating room.
Since the second half of CA-1 year, I have taken evening classes one or two nights per week in the Professional M.B.A. Program at Tulane. I’m lucky that our residency program’s size and our schedules allow for the flexibility necessary to make evening classes a possibility. I’ll be continuing my graduate business education and finishing the coursework for an M.B.A. next year while completing Tulane’s Practice Management Fellowship. Like the M.B.A. program, this fellowship is fairly unique to Tulane, with only a few other similar fellowships scattered across the country.
This year, I was also elected by my peers and faculty to be our new chief resident. It is an exciting opportunity to put my leadership skills into practice and to help usher the new CA-1s into the operating rooms. I was prepared for this new role by participating in the ACGME’s Chief Resident Leadership Training Conference in Chicago, Illinois. At this conference, I was able to meet other new chief residents from anesthesiology programs and from other departments across the country. The opportunities for education, research, and leadership at Tulane are only limited by a resident’s willingness to seek them out. We have a strong support system through our program director, Dr. Weed, and our department chair, Dr. Haynes, and they are always excited to hear ideas from residents.
My role as chief resident – organizing the resident schedule and didactic series, working alongside Dr. McConville with medical students on anesthesiology rotations, and working with Dr. Weed and Dr. Haynes in handling some of the day-to-day operations of the department – will be good practice for a future in academic medicine. I’m excited to see what opportunities will come next.
Kathryn Klatman, MD
Chief Resident 2018-2019
In many programs, the CA-3 and CA-1 relationship ends in August. However, one thing I have always loved at Tulane is this relationship continues indefinitely. Lower levels continue to ask the upper levels how to set up certain cases, staff likes and dislikes or even where to go to dinner on a Friday night as the year progresses. This mentoring thankfully lasts even after many of us have moved on from residency. For instance, I recently called the CA-3 I was orignally paired up with on advice in pursuing jobs and discussing contracts. On the other end, one of the current CA-1's had no problem calling me when he was in the SICU to ask my advice on a current patient at 11pm (knowing I was up watching the Rockets game.) The thing that drew me to Tulane initially was this great relationship between all residents and the lack of class boundaries between the residents.
One other great aspect of residency at Tulane is the opportunity to complete an MBA during residency. No extra time is added on to the residency and each year a full scholarship is awarded to one CA-1 resident. Beginning in the spring of the CA-1 year and continuing until residency graduation, this resident pursues a MBA by completing night classes over this two and a half year period. Call is worked around these classes, usually occuring Monday and Wednesday night 630-915, with no decrease in work hours or case logs from peer residents. While sometimes difficult to manage, this teaches the resident important management skills which are becoming increasingly important in the anesthesia realm. Whether it is running the OR board or managing operating room relationships, this degree has already proven extremely valuable.
Between control of the curriculum, mentoring lower level residents and finishing my MBA, CA-3 year has been extremely rewarding and absolutely prepared me for the next step in my career.
