PDs @ SEA

PDs @ SEA is a conversation series created for anesthesiology residency leaders, faculty, and trainees who want an honest look into the evolving world of anesthesia education. The show features Residency Program Directors from across the country discussing the decisions, challenges, and real-world considerations behind recruiting, training, and supporting residents.

Hosts Bryan and Marianne draw from their own experiences while inviting colleagues to reflect on practical issues such as changes to the interview and application process, transitions in leadership, and shifting expectations in graduate medical education. Each episode offers candid dialogue, shared lessons, and the sense of community that many program directors look for but often find difficult to access in day-to-day work.

The series includes in-depth conversations with current and former residency leaders, members of the American Society of Anesthesiologists Medical Student Component, and educators who are shaping how residents learn. Together, these discussions provide insight into how program directors think, how residency decisions are made, and how the field continues to adapt to the needs of students, residents, and institutions.

Produced by the Stanford AIM Lab on behalf of the Society for Education in Anesthesiology.

For questions, topic suggestions, or to join the conversation, email: pdsatsea@seahq.org

Contributors

Host

Bryan Mahoney, MD

Bryan Mahoney, MD, FASA is Residency Program Director and Vice Chair of Education at Mount Sinai St. Luke’s and West Hospitals, and Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. He completed medical school and residency at Mount Sinai, followed by fellowship in Obstetric Anesthesiology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

Dr. Mahoney trained in simulation education at the HELPS Center and later helped establish the first ASA-endorsed MOCA simulation program at Ohio State, where he also developed a popular simulation-based physiology course. He became Program Director in 2014 and Vice Chair of Education in 2019.

He has held education leadership roles with SEA, SOAP, and the ASA. A former visual artist, he enjoys reading German Idealist philosophy. His core teaching principle: study great educators, build on what works, and let learners know you are firmly in their corner.

Host

David Stahl, MD

David Stahl, MD, FASA is a Clinical Professor of Anesthesiology at Stanford University and the Division Chief of Critical Care Medicine. He specializes in critical care with a focus on obstetric critical illness, and previously served for nearly a decade on the Ohio Maternal Mortality Review Committee, advancing care for high-risk pregnant and postpartum patients. His academic work spans clinical care, education, and faculty development. He is Vice Chair for the ASA Education Track Subcommittee on Obstetric Anesthesia, Chair of the SOAP Education Steering Committee, a member of the SOAP Board of Directors, and an APPLIED examiner for the American Board of Anesthesiology. His scholarly interests include technology-enhanced education and fostering resilience and flourishing in medical trainees and faculty.

Host

Marianne Chen, MD

Marianne Chen, MD is a Clinical Associate Professor of Anesthesiology at Stanford University with a clinical focus in liver transplant anesthesia, critical care, and perioperative point-of-care ultrasound. She completed medical school at Boston University, internship at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, and residency and fellowship training in anesthesiology and critical care medicine at Stanford. Dr. Chen is Board Certified in Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine.

She has held multiple education leadership roles, including Clerkship Director for the General Operating Room rotation and Associate Program Director for the combined Anesthesiology and Internal Medicine Residency. She currently serves as Residency Program Director for the Stanford Department of Anesthesiology, where she leads program development, trainee mentorship, and curriculum innovation across perioperative and critical care domains.