Our people are the heart of our program. From didactic sessions to the operating room, you will find a dedicated team eager to nurture your growth and help you become an outstanding anesthesiologist.
Our chief residents, fellows, and faculty are deeply committed to supporting your educational journey and ensuring you meet your training objectives. Alongside your fellow residents, you will experience a culture of mutual support and encouragement that inspires excellence.
At Iowa, you will learn from distinguished clinicians, researchers, and educators in anesthesiology. The program provides exceptional opportunities to acquire lifelong skills and insights from these respected leaders, equipping you for a successful and fulfilling career.
Cynthia A. Wong
Welcome, and thank you for your interest in the Department of Anesthesia at the University of Iowa. We take great pride in our distinguished residency program, meticulously crafted to develop exemplary perioperative physicians equipped to excel across a broad spectrum of clinical settings.
Approximately 30% of our trainees pursue advanced fellowship training upon completion of residency, while the majority seamlessly transition into independent practice. Our American Board of Anesthesiology certification pass rate has remained an impressive 95% since 2006, a testament to the program’s rigorous curriculum and comprehensive clinical exposure. Alumni consistently provide laudatory feedback, affirming the program’s role in fostering both clinical acumen and professional readiness.
Each recruitment cycle attracts nearly 1,000 applications, from which approximately 150 candidates are invited for interviews. We matriculate 15 PGY-1 residents annually via the National Resident Matching Program; about 80% are graduates of U.S. medical institutions, with the remainder comprising international graduates who are typically among the highest achievers in their cohorts.
Our unwavering commitment to educational excellence ensures that all residents emerge thoroughly prepared to advance their careers, whether by undertaking fellowship training or entering clinical practice, supported by the sustained commendations of our program alumni.
Core Competencies
Our department is home to over 80 faculty members who bring deep expertise across a wide range of anesthesiology subspecialties, including pediatric, regional, transplant, obstetric, and cardiac anesthesia. These educators are not only leaders in their fields but are also deeply invested in resident development. Their teaching is continuously evaluated by learners, ensuring accountability and a consistently high standard of instruction. The faculty’s unwavering commitment is to guide residents in developing advanced clinical judgment, technical excellence, and professional confidence.
We are dedicated to providing a well-balanced and intellectually rigorous training experience that prepares residents to become exceptional perioperative physicians. With a curriculum that blends high-volume clinical exposure, thoughtful mentorship, and academic enrichment, our program shapes physicians who are both skilled and adaptable. The University of Iowa offers an ideal environment for training—supportive, challenging, and collaborative—while Iowa City provides a vibrant, welcoming community that enhances both personal and professional life.
Regional anesthesia
Our department performs more than 2,700 regional anesthetics per year; about 25% of our cases receive some type of regional anesthesia. Our residents are extremely comfortable with both neuraxial techniques and upper and lower extremity nerve blocks. Ultrasound machines are available throughout the clinical areas where regional anesthesia is practiced and the number of blocks performed by our residents is usually 2-3 times greater than the minimum required by the ACGME Residency Review Committee.
Critical care medicine
The department has directed the Surgical and Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit (SNICU) for more than 40 years. The Medical Director of the SNICU is Shawn Simmons, MD, who, along with 11 critical-care-trained anesthesiologists and certified faculty, manages more than 3,100 patients per year. The residents spend 6 months in the ICU during their 4 years of clinical training. The experience gained in the critical care unit has enabled our residents to develop into exceptional perioperative physicians.
Pain management
At University of Iowa, we have outstanding acute and chronic pain management services. Residents assigned to the acute pain management service also perform most of the regional anesthetic techniques for our patients. In addition, we follow many patients with continuous regional anesthetic techniques in the hospital as well as consult for pain management of complex patients.
Pediatric anesthesia
More than 25% of our anesthetics involve children (age <18), and the Stead Family Children's Hospital, which opened in 2017, performs almost 75% of the complex pediatric surgery in the state of Iowa. This facility is consistently nationally ranked in multiple pediatric specialties, and its 8-room operating suite and procedural sedation suites further enhance training opportunities for our residents.
Simulation
The Department of Anesthesia opened the first simulation center at the University of Iowa in the late 1990s. We have an advanced high-fidelity simulation unit housed within the department for easy access by our trainees. We also have an echocardiography simulator that allows our residents to practice TEE examinations 24/7. Simulation-based activities are an integral part of our clinical rotations.
Research opportunities
Our faculty members are involved in basic, translational, and clinical research. Areas of focus include basic science pain research, clinical neuroanesthesia and cardiovascular research, and health systems/operating room management research. Residents are encouraged to participate in ongoing research. Our residents annually participate in the Midwest Anesthesia Resident's Conference, where they present research and case reports to colleagues from around the Midwest.