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Resident annual meeting summary

SAMBA Resident Member Annual Meeting Reviews

May 5th - May 8th 2011

San Antonio, TX

 

Thanks to the SAMBA resident members who contributed their feedback and reviews of the annual meeting! 

"I was introduced to the Society for Ambulatory Anesthesia (SAMBA) by one of the attending anesthesiologists at the University of Florida.  When I made the decision to participate in this year’s SAMBA annual meeting I had no idea what to expect.  The weeks leading up to the conference were filled with anticipation.  As the time for the meeting drew nearer, I began to receive emails from the leadership of the resident section of SAMBA, about opportunities for involvement in committees and also about participation in the mentorship program.   From that moment on, I knew I was not just going to be a spectator, but an active participant.  I expressed my interest in the mentorship program, and was immediately connected with a mentor. I was amazed by how accessible and dedicated SAMBA is to the resident membership.

When I arrived at the conference, I found everyone to be open and welcoming.  The desire to engage residents in SAMBA carried on throughout the meeting.  I had the opportunity to interact with many incredible residents and anesthesiologists from various institutions. I was especially happy to meet with my mentor, and I am looking forward to a long and fruitful relationship. 

I found all the sessions to be very interesting and informative.  I particularly enjoyed the resident parallel tracks. My favorite session was the “Introduction to Ultrasound” hands-on workshop.  I learned an incredible amount about the use of ultrasound for peripheral nerve blocks, and by the end of the session, I felt more confident in my ability to utilize ultrasound.  But the meeting was not all work. The time spent at the Rio Cibolo ranch was a great way to culminate such a wonderful experience. I am looking forward to continuing to work closely with SAMBA in the future."

-Titilopemi Aina, M.D., University of Florida, Gainesville, FL

I am a CA-1 resident who armed with a case report poster, landed in San Antonio, a little nervous and awed by the ornate splendor of the Grand Hyatt hotel, host to the SAMBA. Hey, wasn’t  the SAMBA, a Brazilian song and dance thing? Being from Miami, that was my first thought!  The SAMBA conference however was a lyrical overture, with a smooth start,  a good cohesion of anesthesiologists  from various parts of the country gelling with us raw residents in perfect harmony.  I especially liked the regional anesthesia section which covered  the basics we needed and also made us privy to cutting edge research.  The ultrasound guided regional anesthesia workshops organized by the Mayo Clinic of Jacksonville had been made free to the residents and  was a very useful hands on experience.  Small groups and excellent speakers made the optional workshops of cardiovascular evaluation and difficult airways really delectable.

Also delectable was the food at the Hyatt.  An almost always available repertoire of caffeinated beverages made the senses happy in addition to the feast offered by the speakers to our minds.  The lectures on medicolegal aspects of anesthesia practice were indeed an eye opener for many residents, opening a new vista of the world after residency, to us!

The “consult the expert” sessions on how to search for best practice on the web and preoperative evaluation were among my favorites though honestly all of them were of top notch quality.  Of special interest to me was the resident focus with PBLDS on a wide range of topics from anaphylaxis to adenoidectomy.  These were more resident directed and more what I could immediately use.  The moderated poster sessions were less crowded and gave us an opportunity to view what our peers were doing as well as superlative research by many senior anesthesiologists.

The senior anesthesiologists were quite helpful, giving tips and advice to the residents, thereby making the sessions more close knit and productive. Though really I only presented a case report on fospropofol use in my hospital, I actually came back to Miami much wiser on a greater range of topics. Altogether, the SAMBA was a rather enjoyable, intimate experience…. much like the dance actually!

 
-Lalitha Sundararaman, M.D., University of Miami, Miami, FL

SAMBA.  Provocative Brazilian rhythm.  Nimble Latin ballroom dance.  TV's "Dancing with the Stars" challenge.  Anesthesiology professional society.  The definition may be contextual, but fresh off my first conference I can now say I'm a SAMBA enthusiast... in every sense.

 
Last week, the 26th annual SAMBA conference was held in San Antonio, TX.  I was fortunate to have participated and now share my experiences with the hope other residents will take advantage of the opportunities SAMBA offers.
 
Like many other conferences, SAMBA is an excellent forum for residents to develop academic activities.  Submitting and presenting a scientific poster, I found, was a simple process and a great way to improve presentation and speaking skills.  With many other scientific society meetings occurring earlier in the academic year, the winter submission deadline and spring meeting make SAMBA ideal for CA-1 residents.
 
SAMBA is extraordinarily welcoming of resident participation.  As the new resident chair-elect, I'll be involved with the SAMBA Resident Section, but I've also started the process of working with the SCOR (SAMBA Clinical Outcomes Registry) committee.  Residents may select from a number of committees (international, regional, education and research to name a few!) each of which offer residents opportunity to be involved.
 
SAMBA also provides exposure to some of the many career tracks available to anesthesiologists.  Be it regional anesthesia, perioperative medicine or even a particular interest in practice management, SAMBA is a great way for residents to become exposed to options.

Lastly, of course, SAMBA provides resident with the opportunity to make professional connections that will surely help build their future careers.  This year's end-of-meeting social event, a real Texan barbecue and rodeo, is a perfect example.  Where else can residents share brisket with program directors and compete against top anesthesia faculty in live armadillo racing?  Which reminds me, where on my CV can I add my new mechanical bull-riding skills?

-Jeffrey Hopcian, M.D., Resident Section Chair-elect, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL