Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine

Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine Education

Education in the Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine provides training at all levels of practice.

Medical students can take part in a number of clerkships, electives and acting internships that help them build a strong foundation in clinical anesthesiology.

The four-year ACGME-accredited anesthesiology residency includes not only techniques for anesthetic administration, but also training in the judgment and skills needed to care for complex patients and interact with physicians and other health care providers to ensure excellent care of patients in and outside the operating room environment, with expanded exposure and experience in perioperative medicine.

For practitioners, a variety of anesthesiology, perioperative medicine and pain management continuing education programs are held throughout the year.

Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine Research

Faculty in the Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine are active in basic, clinical and simulation/education research.

The dedicated anesthesia clinical research team offers our patients the opportunity to participate in clinical trials within the fields of anesthesiology, perioperative medicine, critical care and pain management.

Topics being studied include:

• Post-operative nausea and vomiting
• Perioperative genomics
• Prevention of acute renal failure
• Post-operative pain management
• Airway management
• Chronic pain
• Evaluation of new airway management techniques and devices
• Obstetric anesthesia
• Sleep apnea and anesthesia
• Use of music for stress reduction to complement anesthesia
• Pediatric pain detection and management

The research group also has an extensive body of published work in simulation and other research topics.

Anesthesiology Clinical Care

The Department of Anesthesiology is an integral part of Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, specializing in providing anesthesia services to patients undergoing surgical and medical procedures in the medical center, in addition to seeing patients in chronic pain management and pre-anesthesia clinics. The department is also involved in pediatric anesthesia through Penn State Health Children's Hospital.

The department has more than 150 staff members, more than 15 anesthesia specialty areas and more than 60 anesthesiologists.

The Chronic Pain Management Center addresses, in addition to general pain complaints, cancer pain, sympathetically maintained pain, musculoskeletal pain and persistent pain from any cause.