Anaesthesiology

Welcome to the Department of Anaesthesiology at the University of Pretoria

Anaesthesiologists are perioperative physicians (‘peri‘ meaning ‘all-around’), who provide medical care to patients before, during, and after surgical procedures. Anaesthesiologists are responsible for delivering (or ensuring the delivery of) anaesthesia safely to patients in virtually all health care settings, including all major medical and tertiary care facilities. This includes a preoperative medical evaluation of each patient before surgery, consultation with the surgical team, creating a plan for the anaesthesia tailored to each individual patient, airway management, intraoperative life support and provision of pain control, intraoperative diagnostic stabilisation, and proper post-operative management of patients. Preparation of patients for emergency surgery is essential, and one of the critical skills that anaesthesiologists are trained to employ.

Prospective students who are looking for more information are encouraged to contact the department here.

TO ALL NEWLY-APPOINTED REGISTRARS

Welcome to our department and congratulations on being appointed. As you will no doubt be aware, you were one of a number of candidates competing for the rare opportunity of placement in a training programme that is open to applicants from the far reaches of this country and beyond. It is therefore fitting that you should feel a sense of achievement on having secured a place above everyone else. Please treasure this opportunity and apply yourself diligently to vindicate your selection above the other applicants. Specialist training in the clinical disciplines is time-limited and you only have 48 months to satisfy all the requirements for registration as a specialist. I trust you will find the department a pleasant place to be and the clinical environment conducive to the acquisition of the range of skills and knowledge you hope to amass over the four years. We expect to see continual improvement in your knowledge and skills base on an ongoing basis, and to that extent we shall detail hereunder the milestones you must achieve during the course of your training. Please note that we are here to facilitate your learning. Therefore ask, enquire and consult if you need any assistance.