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
The Signal Reality Check: What Actually Determined Interview Invites This Year
In this episode of PDs @ SEA, we sit down at the end of the interview season to compare what program directors actually experienced under the expanded signaling system. With both programs having wrapped interviews and finalized rank lists before second looks, the conversation turns to how gold and silver signals shaped who was reviewed, who was invited, and how programs interpreted applicant interest.
We discuss how much signals narrowed the screening workload, whether geographic preference added any additional value, why an applicant email means something very different now, and how some strong candidates may have unintentionally misplayed their signaling strategy. We also examine the return of in-person second looks, how programs are structuring them to avoid pressure or advantage, and whether away rotations are quietly becoming more important again as dean’s letters and application narratives become less informative.
This is a direct, grounded debrief for program leadership and advisors who want to better guide applicants next cycle, and for applicants who want to understand the real implications of how signals are being read on the program side.
This episode was originally published on January 17, 2024 on YouTube
