University of the Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry (Internship)

Program Overview

The University of the Pacific, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry Division of Anesthesiology & Perioperative Care, in the Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery (OMS), offers a one-year non-categorical internship position for dentists who are seeking to gain an additional year of education and experience in anesthesiology & perioperative care while applying to categorical dental anesthesiology residency programs. This internship has been designed with the input and guidance from the faaculty and program directors of the formal dental anesthesiology residencies.

The primary goal of this internship is to provide each intern with an in-depth view of the role of the dentist anesthesiologist specialist in the preoperative evaluation and preparation of pediatric and adult patients for dental and surgical operations, and in their intraoperative and postoperative management.

The intern will also assist with the development and facilitation of simulation-based learning programs focused on Perioperative & Emergency Medicine (P&EM), and Anesthesia Crisis Resource Management principles for a variety of learners.

Roles & Responsibilities

The primary role of the intern is to provide anesthesiology technical and clinical support to the operations of the division of anesthesiology & perioperative care at the dental school. They are responsible for the meticulous setup, disinfection, turnover, stocking, and maintenance of anesthesia equipment and supplies across the OMS SurgiCenter and other anesthetizing locations. Moreover, the intern will actively participate in the anesthesia administration process, completing OR preparation, engaging in the vigilant monitoring and record keeping of patients' vital signs, performing procedures such as placing intravenous lines, basic and advanced airways, and stepping in to assist during routine and critical situations. Interns will be responsible for the efficient turnover of the ORs, and discharge of patients once recovered. Their role will encompass providing support for all phases of the perioperative care period.

Interns will function as an educator and simulation operations technician. The intern will be trained to provide educational and technical support for the school’s medical simulation education programs, including the delivery of content related to P&EM to learners of various backgrounds. Interns will serve as a human-patient simulator operator by creating, testing, and running scenarios alongside faculty instructors, assuring that the simulator and the simulation environment are prepared prior to the start of all simulation learning programs. Interns will become able to facilitate and act in scenarios and program dynamic physiology to match various emergency situations. Interns will gain experience with establishing and maintaining effective simulation operation environments and workflows to ensure delivery of high-fidelity scenarios and an optimal learning experience.

Virtual interviews will be hosted in the month of March.

This program is designed as a robust non-categorical preliminary training year in the field of anesthesiology, completed AFTER graduation from an accredited dental school, and PRIOR to entering a categorical dental anesthesiology residency training program.

Ideally this internship year is being completed while the participant is actively applying for a position at one of the CODA approved 36-month dental anesthesiology residency programs..

This program is NOT intended to provide clinical training that would allow the intern, upon 12 month internship completion, to independently perform intravenous sedation, or general anesthesia, and is not intended to be a training course to support an application to a state dental board for a permit to independently administer sedation or general anesthesia.