WE ARE UCHICAGO

OUR Vision IS to be the preeminent anesthesia training program for clinical care, scholarly pursuit, and leadership.

The University of Chicago Anesthesia Residency program is designed to offer a top-tier training experience. Our residents receive an unparalleled education due to the unique combination of our brilliant faculty, rich research history, world-class facilities, and engaged community. Our residents see a wide variety of challenging cases as they learn to care for our diverse, at-risk, and underserved Chicago patient population. Combined with mentorship from internationally-renowned faculty, highly-skilled surgeons, and outstanding co-residents, residents leave our program ready to make their mark.

Mission:

As part of the university of chicago, we pursue globally impactful solutions to seemingly unsolvable challenges. Through our rigorous research, innovative education, and comprehensive care and healing; we collaborate on life-changing advancements that create meaningful results for our community and the world, including a greater, more equitable future for all.

WE ARE…

  • Diversity is critical to creating an environment that fosters collaborative learning, teamwork, and improved patient outcomes. Here, different backgrounds, viewpoints, and perspectives are not only sought after but encouraged. Our residents come from across the nation (and globe) with a rich diversity of backgrounds, life experiences, clinical interests, and educational pursuits. We are all united in our desire to learn, to grow, and to care for our community.

  • Anyone can memorize facts, routines, and procedures - it takes passion to truly grow. Every one of our residents is passionate about anesthesiology and enthusiastic to push their own boundaries. Our residents all have different post-residency plans - fellowship, private practice, academic - but each have a unique plan to continue to learn and adapt.

  • The University is renowned for its vigorous research tradition and educational programs - consistently ranking among the top 20 programs for federal research grants and contracts. Our illustrious faculty are some of the most well-known academic anesthesiologists in the country, having served as past presidents of the American Society of Anesthesiology and the Society for Critical Care Anesthesiology. Our success is only as strong as our foundation - the residency program. Our residents are trained to be tomorrow’s leaders and help push the program ever-forward.

  • The University of Chicago is located on the South Side of Chicago. As a result of redlining and other discriminatory policies, the South Side is one of the largest underserved areas in the country. This leads to devastating rates of chronic disease and violent injury. As members of this community, we strive to be good neighbors by offering compassionate and comprehensive care. The diversity and range of clinical opportunities provide a critical foundation for medical practitioners to adapt to the often rapid changes in health care, and more importantly, to the fast pace of the anesthesia specialty. Our residents see a wider variety of cases and are able to serve a wider patient population than many other programs in the country.

MEET OUR CHIEFS

Hometown: Danville, IN

Undergrad: Cedarville University

Medical School: Indiana University School of Medicine

Neighborhood: North Kenwood (South side, best side)

Favorite Activity in Chicago: Hanging out at the lakefront with my wife & dog, exploring new neighborhoods & trying new restaurants & bars, going to plays/musicals, concerts, comedy clubs - you name it, Chicago has it!

Why UChicago: There’s very few places where you can get our level of access to incredible academic opportunity & networking, unsurpassed practical clinical expertise, and participation in care for both the sickest patients in our very own community and from around the world. However, the people of DACC - co-residents, faculty, CRNAs - are what I’ve found make this place truly special and give me energy for each day.

Post-Residency Plans: Cardiothoracic Anesthesia Fellowship at Indiana University!

Fun Fact: Studied music (briefly) in college and love playing any instrument I can get my hands on when I get the chance. Ask me about Bon Iver, Sufjan Stevens, Radiohead, James Blake, Paramore, Fleet Foxes. I am 6’6.

Luke Richarson, MD

Hometown: Honolulu, HI

Undergrad: Wash U St. Louis

Medical School: University of Hawaii

Neighborhood: South Loop

Favorite Activity in Chicago: Eating at as many restaurants as possible, concerts and music festivals, walks by the lakes and parks, anything remotely related to a Chicago summer. Too many to name!

Why UChicago: World class hospital in a world class city with the friendliest people you'll ever meet, truly! Anesthesia is most definitely a team sport here. Our combination of trauma, complex cardiac, ICU and transplant services, high risk peds and OB make our clinical training unmatched. I feel like I'm making a difference in patient lives and learning new things every single day 😊

Post-Residency Plans: OB Fellowship at U Chicago!

Fun Fact: I have a dog named Odis who I call my son 🐕 we got him half way through intern year and I think he's my greatest residency wellness hack 😝

TJ Dawson, MD

Hometown: Bergen County, NJ

Undergrad: Georgetown University

Medical School: Georgetown University

Neighborhood: West Loop

Favorite Activity in Chicago: In the summer, anything along the lakefront! In the winter, anything at a museum!

Why UChicago: The people I met while interviewing were incredible – approachable, expert, and committed to resident education. Everyone in the department is invested in making you the best anesthesiologist you can be! And, of course, our case mix is unmatched.

Post-Residency Plans: Cardiac fellowship at Mount Sinai

Fun Fact: I started watching reality tv during covid quarantine and I haven’t looked back since.

Jessica McCann, MD

Residents need to have their voices heard and amplified. Our chiefs serve as advocates for the residents, raising concerns, highlighting achievements, and implementing changes to continually improve the program.