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
PDs @ SEA
So the Applications Just Dropped: How Program Directors Actually Read Them
On application release day, Drs. Bryan Mahoney and David Stahl sit down for an unscripted conversation about what they are seeing in the first hours of the cycle. With residency applications now open and program signals in play, they compare how many signals their programs received, how application volume has shifted, and how they are planning to prioritize holistic review this year. They discuss whether non-signaled applicants will meaningfully be considered, how sincere outreach emails will be interpreted, and what it means when an applicant applies late after hearing good things about a program. The conversation reflects the tension between wanting to be fair to all applicants and needing to make efficient, value-aligned decisions in a competitive process. This is a candid look at how program directors think in real time, before polished messaging and committee decisions settle in.
Originally Published October 3, 2023 on YouTube
