All residents spend one month on the Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology service at George Washington University Hospital and one month at the Veterans Administration (VA) Hospital, Washington, D.C. Residents are taught invasive monitoring techniques, applied cardiovascular physiology and pharmacology, and principles of cardiopulmonary bypass. At the VA Hospital, residents perform these same duties with increasing amounts of autonomy, which solidifies their technical skills.
Residents who wish to expand their knowledge of cardiovascular anesthesia may spend up to six additional months on the cardiovascular service during the CA-3 year.