Shaping Tomorrow’s Anesthesiologists

What does it take to thrive as an anesthesiologist in today’s complex healthcare environment? At the University of Minnesota, residents don’t just learn to manage airways and anesthetics, they’re challenged to think critically, lead teams, pursue academic passions, and care for patients across a broad clinical spectrum. This is a program where learning is hands-on, mentorship is personal, and the training prepares you to become the physician you aspire to be.

Comprehensive Clinical Exposure

A defining strength of the program is the depth and breadth of clinical experiences residents receive. As part of a major academic medical center and a nationally recognized transplant hub, trainees work with a wide range of surgical specialties.

“I think it's a very strong program clinically,” says Dr. Mojca Remskar, Residency Program Director. “I'm very proud of the types of cases residents are exposed to and learn to manage. They develop the skills to care for extremely sick patients while also learning to manage more routine surgical cases. It’s a very broad exposure.”

“It is definitely a very diverse population and diversity of cases consistent with a large academic center,” Dr. Remskar adds. “This is also a very strong transplant center, which brings with it a variety of complex cases, allowing a resident to practice a wide range and unique set of procedures during their training.”

Residents start gaining hands-on experience early. “Even as a CA-1, you’re able to work a variety of cases, such as transplants, especially liver, kidney, and pancreas transplants,” said Dr. Francie Moriguchi, a current resident in the program. “The most rewarding experience has been seeing how much my resident class and I have grown. At first, it's a bit overwhelming, but with all the support we receive, you start to feel really confident.”

Residents also rotate through a variety of ICUs where they manage some of the hospital’s sickest patients. “What surprised me most was how challenged we are in the OR and the CVICU,” said Dr. Moriguchi. “I've felt very challenged and stretched during these times which I appreciate because that's how I learn.”

Education, Mentorship & Leadership Development

The program’s curriculum extends beyond clinical training. Residents are offered structured mentorship, academic support, and opportunities to explore research, global health, and quality improvement experiences.

Each resident is assigned two mentors at their primary clinical sites and have regular one-on-one meetings with the program director. “We try to make it so that their mentors are from the two main clinical sites where residents rotate, so that at any time the resident has somebody there that's their advocate,” said Dr. Remskar. “If somebody is interested in global health, quality improvement, or research, we try to create opportunities for them to pursue those passions.”

Residents also benefit from exposure to a wide array of subspecialties.

The department’s Combined Pathway Program is a unique offering that allows residents to pursue additional master’s-level degrees, such as an MBA, MHA, or MPH, during their residency. “We believe that besides being a very strong clinician, an anesthesiologist also needs to develop themselves in other areas,” said Dr. Remskar. “Those pathways are personalized so that they are doable during a resident’s training, but it is a challenging pathway residents can pursue.”

Education is prioritized not only in the clinical environment but also in protected didactic time and scholarly training. “We do expose residents to research, we teach them how to read journal articles, and we want them to understand the role of administration and education in medicine,” said Dr. Remskar. “Because I believe we as anesthesiologists need to be involved in all of those areas.”

Life Outside the Hospital

The residency program places a high value on community, wellness, and creating an environment where residents feel supported, both professionally and personally. “We consider ourselves a very supportive program,” said Dr. Remskar.

For Dr. Moriguchi, that culture of support has made a profound impact. “I would describe the culture as an extremely friendly group. There hasn’t been a time I felt like I couldn’t bring up something to a mentor or attending,” she said.

“Since I’m not from Minnesota, I don’t have any family here, and I really developed a family just with my cohort of residents. We have barbecues, we get together in the summer—it’s a very close-knit group.”

Outside of work, residents enjoy the lifestyle the Twin Cities have to offer. From diverse food options to outdoor recreation, the metro area offers something for everyone. “There are a lot of different restaurants and cuisines, and I’d never really been introduced to Hmong cuisine before, but it’s my new favorite,” Dr. Moriguchi said. “There are so many beautiful parks and safe trails for running or long walks. In the winter, I’ve gotten into cross-country skiing, which is very big here.”

Dr. Remskar agrees. “You have everything you may want in a large city but without the traffic challenges of many others. The environment here allows for exposure to a variety of healthcare systems. And the outdoors—people are outside no matter the temperature. It’s not half as bad as people say in terms of the cold.”

If you’re looking for a residency that will challenge you, support you, and ultimately shape you into the best version of the physician you want to become, the University of Minnesota is ready to help you take that next step. Here, you won’t just learn how to safely manage complex cases, you’ll develop the judgment, leadership, and resilience needed to thrive in a wide range of clinical and academic settings. With unparalleled case diversity, meaningful mentorship, and the chance to explore your career aspirations, you’ll graduate not only well-prepared but deeply confident in your ability to lead in the evolving field of anesthesiology.