Doctors around the country are using these social networking tools to keep the patients’ families in the loop of what is happening to their loved ones in the operating room.  In fact, some surgeons go as far as sharing step-by-step medical procedures.  This real-time updates allows the family members to feel involved, close to the action, and importantly, reduces their anxiety levels.  The alternative is family members sitting in the waiting room not knowing what is going on.  Importantly, it also raises the profile of the Hospital and of the surgeons and anesthesiologist.  (Earlier in the year CNN’s Rick Sanchez, tweeting his own surgery, describes the anesthesiologist’s preparation before she puts him to sleep!)

A recent article published in the Miami Herald lists a number of great examples of Social Media being applied in the operating room.  In February, for only the second known time, doctors at the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan, “tweeted” the entire operation of removing a kidney tumor.

Many see this as a natural progression of the rapid influence of technology in our lives and the impetus of the Social Media revolution.  This type of communication removes a huge barrier and helps a hospital engage its community in a transparent, helpful way.

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According to the article anesthesiologists take home a median salary of $292,000 per annum, while nurse anesthesiologists earn $157,000 a year, with the top pay being $214,000. The top pay for Anesthesiologists were recorded at slightly more than $400,000.  (Note that median salary was determined for an experienced worker with at least 2-7 years in the field.)

According to the study, the future of the profession looks very bright. Job ads for anesthesiologists over the 6 months leading up to August 2009 increased by 70%, while there are an estimated 23,000 jobs currently available!  Approximately 19,000 nurse anesthesiology jobs waits to be filled.  Very encouraging, if seen in against the backdrop of a struggling US economy.

In terms of Quality of Life, the evaluators looked at factors like personal job satisfaction, job security, future industry growth, the benefit to society, and the stress levels involved.  As you can guess, Anesthesiology ranked low in the stress rating, as death is a possibility if the slightest miscalculation is made.  Quoted in the article, Roger Moore, president of the American Society of Anesthesiologists, said, “Anesthesiologists get patients safely and intact through operations while surgeons do things that would otherwise kill them.”

Nurse anesthesiologist has involvement with the patient not only during the operation, but afterwards, as they monitor their health post-surgery.  According to Wikepedia they administer anesthesia approximately 32 millions times/annum in the US.  Their role is crucial.

The bottom line:  This is a great field with great prospects!  All that is left for you is to get Board Certified.  Board Stiff Live and Board Stiff CRNA will help you achieve that hurdle.  See our website for dates of our next workshop.

For the Oral Board Review several intensive oral mock exams were given to the attendees to simulate the actual Board Exam. These mock orals of Board Stiff Live works in a 4-person rotation that keeps every person actively involved in the exam process. Attendees at large impersonal conference-type Board Exam preparation workshops do not have this privilege.

These preparation tecniques are excellent experience for attendees who get tested in a small group environment, in the presence of their peers. It allows for immediate feedback from the faculty member and the other attendees, ensuring that the more than 75 possible mock-exam questions are thoroughly reviewed. While the examinee is in the proverbial hot seat, the other group members/attendees have the opportunity to act as mock examiners and provide critique. This is as much a great learning experience as is taking the mock exam.

Apart from expert tuterage from experienced anesthesiologists, this process aids attendees in retaining the information gleaned from the Courses. In addition, the small group environment simulates the exam experience and helps build the attendee’s confidence for the big exam day.

Practice makes perfect – Board Stiff Live will help you be successful on your first try!

The award is not given out regularly every year; in fact, it is only awarded when the IARS feels that an educator has truly met the criteria for the award. In 2008, they awarded two of these prestigious honors, one of which went to Dr. Gallagher. The co-winners (which included Dr. Lydia Conley of Baylor University), were presented their awards and participated in a program at the 2009 IARS Annual Meeting, which was held in San Diego in March.

Dr. Gallagher was honored and thrilled to learn he was to receive this award. It became, in fact, even more meaningful to him when he learned what had led the judges to choose him.

“I was curious as to what tipped them toward me,” says Dr. Gallagher. “So I asked one of the judges: ‘Was it the books I wrote?’ and he said, ‘The biggest influence on our decision was the testimonials of the fellows, residents, and medical students you had taught.’

“So it was the one-on-one teaching that did it, and that was really touching for me.”

In addition to his work with Board Stiff Live®, Dr. Gallagher is also an Associate Professor of Clinical Anesthesiology at Stony Brook University Medical Center. Per an announcement about the award issued by the institution:

As Residency Program Director in Anesthesiology at SBUMC, Dr. Gallagher has enhanced education by developing interactive training, built board review courses based on hundreds of questions he devised, and created many clinical simulation training modules from which students gain hands-on knowledge of diseases and conditions in emergency and operating room scenarios.

“I try to make all lessons fun, with humor. I just put myself in the shoes of my residents and fellows…and start teaching,” says Dr. Gallagher.