The Master of Science (M.S.) in Anesthesia program at UMKC School of Medicine is a nationally accredited 29-month (7 consecutive semesters) program that integrates didactic and clinical instruction. With a January start date, the first year (semesters 1 to 3) is referred to as the didactic phase. A significant portion of the credit hours involve foundational medical science coursework, however; students also gain clinical experience in both the skills/simulation lab and the operating room. This combination of classroom and clinical learning is an integral component of the program.
Classroom instruction includes advanced coursework in applied anatomy and physiology, physics, pharmacology, and anesthetic sciences. Simulation labs are incorporated early to emphasize patient instrumentation and monitoring, as well as technical skills required for the profession. Students will receive more than 100 hours of training during their first year in our state-of-the-art skills/simulation laboratory. Clinical work begins in the first semester, with incremental increases each semester.
Semesters 4 to 7 are considered the clinical phase of the program. Students primarily focus on gaining clinical experience within an operating room. One-on-one supervision by an Anesthesiologist or a licensed Anesthesiologist Assistant is provided. During the clinical rotations students apply the medical knowledge and clinical skills gained during the didactic phase and gain competence in providing direct patient care. Upon graduation, students will have completed 111 credit hours, experienced more than 2,000 patient contact hours, and administered anesthesia to more than 700 patients. The clinical rotation schedule ensures experience with the specialties involved in anesthesia including pediatrics, cardiac, obstetrics, neurosurgery and trauma. Rotations during the clinical phase will include some out of town and/or out of state clinical training sites of an affiliated hospital. The curriculum schedule and course descriptions are outlined below.
Year 1 – Didactic Phase
Spring Semester (16.5 credit hours)
| Course Number | Course Title | Credit Hours |
| ANES 5505 | Anatomy for Anesthesiologist Assistants | 1 |
| ANES 5518 | Professionalism for Anesthesiologist Assistants I | 0.5 |
| ANES 5540 | Patient Monitoring and Instrumentation | 3 |
| ANES 5556 | Physiology for Anesthesiologist Assistants I | 3 |
| ANES 5560 | Introduction to Anesthesia | 2 |
| ANES 5561 | Orientation to Simulation & Clinical Application | 5 |
| ANES 5575 | Pharmacology for Anesthesiologist Assistants I | 2 |
Summer Semester (12.5 credit hours)
| Course Number | Course Title | Credit Hours |
| ANES 5528 | Professionalism for Anesthesiologist Assistants II | 0.5 |
| ANES 5541 | Methods of Anesthesia I | 2 |
| ANES 5557 | Physiology for Anesthesiologist Assistants II | 2 |
| ANES 5558 | Anesthesia and Coexisting Disease I | 2 |
| ANES 5563 | Anesthesia Clinical Experience I | 4 |
| ANES 5585 | Physiological Model-based Simulation I | 2 |
Fall Semester (18.5 credit hours)
| Course Number | Course Title | Credit Hours |
| ANES 5506 | Anatomy for the Anesthesiologist Assistant II | 1 |
| ANES 5538 | Professionalism for Anesthesiologist Assistants III | 0.5 |
| ANES 5559 | Anesthesia and Coexisting Disease II | 2 |
| ANES 5565 | Anesthesia Clinical Experience II | 8 |
| ANES 5576 | Pharmacology for Anesthesiologist Assistants II | 2 |
| ANES 5577 | Methods of Anesthesia II | 3 |
| ANES 5586 | Physiological Model-based Simulation II | 2 |
Year 2 – Clinical Phase
Spring Semester (17 credit hours)
| Course Number | Course Title | Credit Hours |
| ANES 5564 | Anesthesia Clinical Correlation II | 1 |
| ANES 5567 | Anesthesia Clinical Experience III | 16 |
Summer Semester (13 credit hours)
| Course Number | Course Title | Credit Hours |
| ANES 5568 | Anesthesia Clinical Correlation III | 1 |
| ANES 5569 | Anesthesia Clinical Experience IV | 12 |
Fall Semester (17 credit hours)
| Course Number | Course Title | Credit Hours |
| ANES 5570 | Anesthesia Clinical Correlation IV | 1 |
| ANES 5571 | Anesthesia Clinical Experience V | 16 |
Year 3 – Clinical Phase
Spring Semester (16.5 credit hours)
| Course Number | Course Title | Credit Hours |
| ANES 5548 | Senior Seminar | 0.5 |
| ANES 5573 | Anesthesia Clinical Experience VI | 16 |
Brief course descriptions:
ANES 5505 Anatomy for Anesthesiologist Assistants I
A one credit hour course designed specifically for anesthesiologist assistants. Anatomical terms, structures, and relationships emphasizing functional significance in problem solving situations. Laboratory provides demonstrations using models and other learning modalities.
ANES 5506 Anatomy for Anesthesiologist Assistants II
In this course, students will learn to apply the anatomy that directly impacts clinical situations. Diagnostic skills will be enhanced through an understanding of radiologic tests, identification of common chest X-rays, and a basic understanding of transesophageal echocardiography. Students will learn to recognize the basic 4 chamber TEE views and diagnose the most common lesions and abnormalities in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. An ultrasound machine will be used to identify anatomy for a variety of clinical procedures, including intravenous line placement, central line placement, arterial line placement, and peripheral nerve block placement. Students will learn the principles of how to operate and manipulate the ultrasound monitor, and will learn the relevant anatomy and anesthetic implications and management for the most common peripheral nerve blocks used today. In addition, clinically significant anatomy case studies in anesthesia will be presented and discussed.
ANES 5518/ ANES 5528/ ANES 5538 Professionalism for the Anesthesiologist Assistant I/ II/ III
This is a 0.5 credit course required in the first three semesters of the program which involves detailed study into special areas of Anesthesiologist Assistant practice; including professional behavior towards colleagues and patients, psychological considerations in providing anesthesia care, ethical considerations in medicine, and diversity, legal obligations of anesthetists and the rights of their patients, and the social and community contexts of health care. It further details the need for lifelong commitment to self education in the practice of anesthesia and positive advocacy of the anesthesiologist assistant profession.
ANES 5540 Patient Monitoring and Instrumentation I
This is a three credit hour course which integrates concepts of circuits and engineering with the clinical application of anesthesia instrumentation. Monitors and devices used in the operating room are studied with respect to principles of operation, calibration, and interpretation of data. A hands-on laboratory is used to maximize direct contact to the instrumentation of the profession.
ANES 5541/ ANES 5577 Methods of Anesthesia I/ II
This course addresses intraoperative monitoring for complicated patients and complex surgical procedures. Advanced and supplemental monitors and devices used in the operating room are studied with respect to principles of operation, calibration, and interpretation of data. Includes focus on diagnosis and practical applications of electrocardiography (ECG), echocardiography and other advanced cardiovascular monitoring techniques used in the operating room.
ANES 5548 Senior Seminar
This is a 0.5 credit hour course taken in the final semester of the Master of Science in Anesthesia Program. This course is designed to prepare the student for the job market and placement. The course will contain information on student loan payback, financial literacy after graduation, and leadership opportunities for the graduate. The course will also clinically update the students in basic life saving for the healthcare provider (BLS), advanced cardiac life saving (ACLS) and pediatric advanced life saving (PALS).
ANES 5556/ ANES 5557 Physiology for Anesthesiologist Assistants I/ II
These courses were designed specifically for the Masters of Anesthesia Program. Students learn basic and applied human systems physiology with emphasis on topics and areas of special concern to the anesthetist.
ANES 5558/ ANES 5559 Anesthesia and Coexisting Disease I/ II
These courses provide an essential anesthesia link to the basic anatomy and physiology classes in the Masters of Science in Anesthesia program. The content outline intentionally corresponds with and builds upon that of the Physiology for Anesthesiologist Assistants coursework.
ANES 5560 Introduction to Anesthesia
This two credit hour course prepares students for practice in anesthesia by introducing basic concepts and necessary skills. It also provides intensive instruction regarding: Medical terminology and abbreviations, medical record and medical history interpretation, and documentation skills.
ANES 5561 Orientation to Simulation and Clinical Application
A skills lab based course to prepare students for anesthesia patient care in the operating room. Classroom, simulation laboratory and actual operating room environments will be used to teach preoperative assessment, IV placement techniques, airway management, intraoperative patient care and post-operative management. BLS (Basic Life Support) certification is a course requirement.
ANES 5563/ ANES 5565 / ANES 5567 Anesthesia Clinical Experience I/II/III
A continuation of ANES 5561 with increasing clinical experience each semester. Laboratory work focuses on refining patient management skill, establishing independence in performing basic tasks and introducing advanced skills. Students gain additional clinical experience in the operating room. In this course it is expected students will be successful in performing basic clinical competencies with minimal assistance from clinical instructors, while attempting advanced competencies with frequent assistance.
ANES 5564/ ANES 5568/ ANES 5570 Anesthesia Clinical Correlation II/III/IV
This one credit course is designed to help students understand how to effectively research and apply current anesthesia journal articles, and to prepare for the NCCAA certification examination. The students will spend the entire semester studying specific topics of the 16 focus areas that are included on the NCCAA certification examination. Homework will include submission of test questions based on their presentations and the assigned NCCAA testing topics. The students will also receive an assignment to find and summarize a journal article from a specific aspect of anesthesia. The students will cap off the semester with a clinical final examination, which includes submitted questions from assigned topics. Clinical correlation II includes an IT week provided at the School of Medicine.
ANES 5569/ ANES 5571/ ANES 5573 Anesthesia Clinical Experience IV/V/VI
These are clinical clerkships, where students are in the operating room (OR) five days per week and through the combined clinical experience clerkships will receive extended exposure to all clinical subspecialties. Students complete 4 week or 8 week rotations at several area hospitals to gain experience with general surgery, obstetrics, pediatrics, trauma surgery, neurosurgery, cardiovascular surgery, orthopedic surgery, and others. Students are expected to perform basic clinical competencies with minimal to no assistance from clinical instructors, while attempting advanced competencies with frequent assistance.
ANES 5575/ ANES 5576 Pharmacology for Anesthesiologist Assistants I/ II
These courses specifically designed for the Master of Science in Anesthesia program will introduce the student to basic concepts in pharmacology: principles of drug action, receptor theory, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics. The courses will emphasize those medication classes most commonly encountered within the practice of an anesthesiologist assistant including anesthetic agents (inhaled, intravenous, local), analgesics, cardiovascular agents and intravenous fluids.
ANES 5585/ ANES 5586 Physiological Model-based Simulation I/ II
These are two credit hour courses, which utilize physiological model-based simulation and procedure simulation to integrate anesthesia-associated basic science knowledge into a laboratory setting. Students practice basic manual skills in: anesthesia machine checkout, anesthesia materials and equipment setup and performing anesthesia for uncomplicated surgical cases using clinical models and simulators. Students are also introduced to anesthesia machine troubleshooting and crisis management.