Clinical Component

Navigating the Clinical Component

Your Clinical Environment

You work in an organized perioperative system that runs at a comfortable pace. Surgical volumes match the size of the community, so your days stay steady without overwhelming case counts. You handle a broad mix of cases, and the workflow allows you to focus on patient care instead of throughput pressure. You move between the OR, pre-op, PACU support, and limited obstetric involvement, with CRNAs taking the epidural responsibilities.

Case Mix and Daily Work

You see the full spectrum of community hospital anesthesia. You provide anesthesia for orthopedics, general surgery, ENT, OB, urology, podiatry, and routine pediatric cases involving healthy children older than age two. You handle your own room about one third of the time. The remaining time focuses on pre-op evaluations, intraoperative support, and clinical oversight.

  • General OR cases across multiple specialties
  • Healthy pediatric cases age two and older
  • ENT cases such as ear tubes
  • Routine day surgery procedures
  • No high-acuity pediatrics or complex surgical subspecialties
  • CRNAs cover all epidurals, reducing overnight disruptions

Call Structure and Experience

Your call responsibilities fall within your fourteen days on-site. Call becomes more balanced once the third anesthesiologist begins. The practical experience of call is manageable. Overnight returns to the hospital are rare. CRNAs handle all labor epidurals, minimizing sleep interruptions.

Within your 14 on/14 off schedule:

  • Eight weekday shifts (7am-5pm)
  • Eight weekday call periods (5pm – 7 am)
  • Three weekend call periods (7am-7am)
  • Two post-call days off built into the model
  • A small percentage of call shifts designated as epidural-only, handled by CRNAs
  • Physicians support one another to ensure rest after busier nights

Clinical Standards and Expectations

You use Epic as the EMR, giving you straightforward charting and access to complete patient records. You work in a physician-led environment that values communication and shared decision making. You have consistent interaction with the OR team, hospitalists, obstetrics, and the emergency department.

  • Epic EMR used across the system
  • Direct communication with surgeons and nursing teams
  • Evidence-based, safe anesthesia practice environment
  • Support from CRNAs who handle epidural call and routine day coverage

Practice Pace and Workload

Mountain West anesthesiologists average about four thousand RVU per year, which reflects the balanced workload found in this region. You experience a level of clinical demand more manageable than high-volume southern or southeastern states, where anesthesiologists routinely exceed eleven thousand RVUs.

This environment supports quality care, predictable days, and enough breathing room to enjoy life outside the hospital.

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