CHCS Perspectives Winter 2014

PERSPECTIVES • WINTER 2014 – Page 17 What attracts over 12,000 current and future health care pro- fessionals from all over the world to a single conference for five days every year, you ask? • one part educational lectures • one part camaraderie and networking • one part ambition and purpose • an abundance of fun added on top Last October, 15 of NSU Tampa’s anesthesiologist assistant students headed to San Francisco, California, to attend the an- nual anesthesia conference hosted by the American Society of Anesthesiologists. For over 65 years, the ASA has hosted the largest anesthesia educational event in the world, which unites the most renowned professionals in the fields of anesthesia, critical-care medicine, and pain medicine. Almost 4,000 of these attendees were from outside of the United States. Each year, the ASA conference is held in the month of Oc- tober due to its historical significance to the field of anesthesia. William Thomas Green Morton, an American dentist, first publicly demonstrated the use of inhaled ether as a surgical anesthetic on October 16, 1846. Since the ASA’s founding, the world’s largest anesthesia educational meetings have been around this date to honor the creation of anesthesia. As zealous first-year anesthesiologist assistant students, I doubt we will ever forget the breathtaking feeling of first walk- ing into the conference hall, dressed to impress and eager to take in as much of the surroundings as possible. Large banners that read ANESTHESIOLOGY covered the walls, while thou- sands of professionals in business attire rushed around us. We were aware we had a seemingly infinite amount to experience, yet such a relatively short amount of time in which to do so. We quickly learned that anesthesiologists and other anesthe- sia providers are very curious about the details of the AA pro- fession. After having read our name tags, which we proudly wore like an honor bestowed upon an American war veteran, anesthesia professionals frequently approached us with ques- tions sparked by their interest. These questions ranged from those addressing our scope of practice to inquiries regarding where we are able to practice. Such dialogues provide a great opportunity to educate existing health care professionals of our exciting profession. These networking opportunities are a nec- essary step in gaining practice in additional states in the future. Lecture topics pertinent to the anesthesia profession were offered throughout the conference, and the excitement made for an arduous task of selecting only one lecture each hour. We heard from speakers with remarkably impressive back- grounds who enlightened us with their extensive knowledge of their respective fields. We attended riveting lectures rang- ing from the zombie-like effects of certain brain injuries to a lecture educating anesthesiologists on how to incorporate AAs into their practices. The conference was jam-packed with booths, demonstra- tions, and cutting-edge technology related to anesthesia and other medical specialties. It was an exciting opportunity for us to get a glimpse into the future of our profession. We practiced using different instruments for airway management, partici- pated in surgical simulations, wore goggles that allowed the ability to clearly see a patient’s veins, and saw a nearly endless array of futuristic anesthesia tools. One of the conference booths featured the Lifebox organization, which was showcas- ing its efforts in raising money to provide pulse oximeters—an essential medical monitoring device—to over 70 countries that are unable to afford them. The NSU Tampa AA Program is involved in annual fund-raising for this organization, and it was inspiring to witness firsthand an organization that is so dear to our program. One evening, we had the opportunity to attend a Florida So- ciety of Anesthesiologists’ social event, where we met with some of Florida’s leading anesthesia providers. We were honored, as students, to be invited to such a prestigious group of medical professionals. The FSA, founded in 1948, is a group of highly qualified anesthesiologists that strive to maintain and improve the standards of anesthesiology practice and patient care. Outside of the brilliant lectures, we were able to visit some of the city’s most famous attractions, including the Golden Gate Bridge and the famous Lombard Street. On one of our final days in San Francisco, we participated in a guided tour to see the beautiful wine country of Napa Valley. Our tour in- cluded three wineries, each of which provided details of the complicated yet interesting process of winemaking. All in all, San Francisco was an incredible experience that allowed us to expand on our knowledge of our future profes- sion in anesthesia. The conference gave us an invaluable op- portunity to meet and network with health care professionals around the world and spread awareness of the anesthesiologist assistant profession. An Overview of the ASA Anesthesia Conference By Sean Byrne and Jennifer Grant Anesthesiologist Assistant Students