Welcome from the Chair

As the Chairman of the Department of Anesthesiology at the University of Minnesota, I affirm the department’s commitment to educate physicians to become outstanding anesthesiologists. Indeed, the Department’s vision is to be the best educational and anesthesia training program in the Midwest.  Our Department will be recognized as: 1) a superior and innovative postgraduate residency; 2) a novel and imitated model of a blended anesthesiology department, leveraging the intellectual and educational assets of both academic and private-practice anesthesiologists, 3) a standard for professional delivery of compassionate patient care which emphasizes patient safety and operational efficiency; and 4.) a culture of inquiry, where best medical practices are determined through clinical, basic science, and interdisciplinary investigation.

Today's anesthesiologist works as a team leader in the operating room, as well as the intensive care unit, labor and delivery suite, preoperative assessment center, postanesthesia recovery unit, and acute and chronic pain management clinics. Our residents have all the necessary resources to develop the knowledge and skills required to practice in all ten recognized subspecialties within anesthesiology.  Additionally, postgraduate training is available in our department’s accredited training program in critical care medicine and is closely linked with the University of Minnesota Center for Pain Research.  This Center affords residents the opportunity for interactions and collaboration with internationally recognized pain researchers. 

Our core program capitalizes on the strengths, interests, and commitment of the current faculty and resources of the Academic Health Center. To fulfill our mission, we appointed a new Vice Chair for Education in 2005. The department recruits 7 residents for each year of clinical anesthesia training, for a total of 21 residents.  We provide anesthesia services at Fairview-University Medical Center as well as a select number of affiliated sites to augment specific subspecialty anesthesiology experience. The University of Minnesota Physicians (UMP) faculty are partnered with Twin City Anesthesia Associates, a key integrated component of the overall educational and training paradigm. All faculty are recognized as essential and significant contributors to our teaching mission as we strive for excellence across all patient care domains.

Ultimately, the most important part of our future is you. I hope you will consider all the strengths of our faculty, our facilities, and our future.  My colleagues and I pledge to support, assist, and guide your journey to becoming a great anesthesiologist.  We hope you will explore our Web site and invite you to contact us with your thoughts or any questions.  I look forward to assisting you on your journey of inquiry. 

--Richard C. Prielipp