Curriculum

The first three semesters of ODU's AA Program consist of didactic, laboratory, simulation lab, and clinical experience coursework in the basic and clinical sciences, including a full semester’s course in anatomy with cadaver dissection.

Note that the curriculum is subject to change at the discretion of faculty.

First Year AA students are also introduced into clinical settings through hospital experiences throughout the first year.

In the first year, students receive further hands-on training in clinical skills such as: airway insertion and management, IV administration and access, arterial and central line placement, peripheral nerve block insertion, spinal and epidural placements, oral & nasal gastric tube insertion, sterile technique including surgical scrubbing and gowning pertinent to anesthesiology, advanced cardiac life support, basic life support, pediatric life support, and other clinical skills.

Students will gain a vast array of initial experience by participation in the high fidelity anesthesia simulation lab. Students will have simulation lab exams, and will be expected to successfully pass these in order to continue their progression into the second year.

The second year of the program lasts 12 months and consists of (specialty and non-specialty rotations), plus a Transition to Practice course, and board review course.

During clinical rotations, students are often trained by and visited by a faculty member in order to assess the clinical learning experience. These visits occur randomly and designed to ensure each student receives an appropriate clinical learning experience.

Students are required to complete appropriate logging and evaluation forms as delineated in each syllabus and written assignments as assigned.

Additionally, in the second year, students will participate in an intensive board review course to better prepare for the National Commission for Certification of Anesthesiologist Assistants and clinical practice.

AAS 520– Anesthesiologist Assistant Profession
This course provides an introduction to the AA profession: the history, the expectation, and the outlook.  Students will gain knowledge of the profession and how to interact with all healthcare professionals participating in the care of perioperative patients.  Students will be prepared to answer inquiries into an array of topics pertinent to CAA practice: the laws, biomedical ethics, and diversity of patient care.  

AAS 530– Airway Management I
This course provides an introduction to the airway and the following: anatomical structure, function, disease, and how to properly manipulate and secure the human airway. This introduction provides principles for airway manipulation and management while gaining hands-on learning in the laboratory and simulation courses.  The course will ensure each student can examine an airway appropriately and recognize issues that could make airway manipulation difficult.  The adult and pediatric airway will be discussed.  Upon completion of this course, each student will have extensive knowledge in various airway devices and equipment used during airway manipulation.

AAS 540- Human Anatomy
This course will allow students to gain an understanding of the human body structure and mechanics.  The course will prepare students to assess topographic and radiographic anatomy relating to anesthesiology.  

AAS 541- Human Anatomy Lab
This course will allow students to gain an understanding of the human body's gross structure.  The course will allow students to participate in a full dissection cadaver lab.  

AAS 550- Anesthesiology Instrumentation and Patient Monitoring I
This course provides the introduction to physics in anesthesia concepts paralleled with machines and monitoring.  This integration provides insight into the application of clinical anesthesia instrumentation. The anesthesia monitors and equipment used in the operating room are studied ensuring introduction to the operation, calibration, and interpretation of data. The practical application of this course will be applied in courses AAS 580/590 to allow students to practice using the machines, monitoring, and equipment necessary to succeed in the profession

AAS 560- Pharmacology for Anesthesiology I
This course provides the basic understanding of pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics.  The course will place emphasis on anesthesiology drugs.  The drugs or drug classes studied in this course are: inhaled anesthetics, amnestic drugs, local anesthetics, opioids, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, anti-emetics, anticholinesterases and anticholinergics, neuromuscular blockers, adrenergic agonists and antagonists.  

AAS 570– Clinical Anesthesiology Experience I
This course will prepare students to be part of and work within the anesthesia care team.  The students will be immersed in the clinical experience learning the basics of anesthesia: induction, maintenance, and emergence.  This clinical experience allows the student to begin pre-op anesthesia evaluations, selecting anesthesia care plans, universal precautions, and infection control.  The students will be introduced to using sterile technique, intravenous catheter placement, and airway device insertion.

AAS 580– Anesthesiology Laboratory I
This course will allow students to obtain hands-on experience to correlate with the lecture and simulation materials being learned in the classroom and simulator. The students will be introduced to sterile technique, intravenous catheter placement, airway devices and insertion, ASA standard monitoring, and anesthesia delivery systems.  

AAS 590– Anesthesiology Simulation I
This course will prepare students to be part of and work within the anesthesia care team.  The students will be immersed into the high fidelity anesthesia simulation lab learning the basics of anesthesia: induction, maintenance, and emergence.  The simulation lab allows the student to begin pre-op anesthesia evaluations, selecting anesthesia care plans, using universal precautions, and infection control.  Students will correlate the knowledge learned in the classroom to anesthesia simulation scenarios.  

AAS 600– Anesthesiology Principles and Practice I
This course explores the formulation of an anesthetic care plan based upon preoperative evaluation information.  Students will learn how to formulate care plans based on the surgical procedure and patient health history.  

AAS 630– Airway Management II
This course expands upon the introduction to airway course and further develops the understanding of the following: anatomical structure, function, disease, and how to properly manipulate and secure the human airway. This course expands upon the introductory principles of airway manipulation and management while gaining hands-on learning in the laboratory and simulation courses.  The course will ensure each student can examine an airway appropriately, and recognize issues that could make airway manipulation difficult.  The adult and pediatric airway will be discussed.  Upon completion of this course, each student will have extensive knowledge in various airway devices and equipment used during airway manipulation.  

AAS 640- Pathophysiology for Anesthesiology I
This course provides students the fundamental knowledge of basic and applied physiology.  The course will focus on pathophysiology as it relates to anesthesiology.  Students will use their knowledge of physiology and pathophysiology to formulate anesthesia care plans.  

AAS 650– Anesthesiology Instrumentation and Patient Monitoring II
This course expands on the introduction to physics in anesthesia concepts paralleled with machines and monitoring from the introductory course.  This integration provides further insight into the application of clinical anesthesia instrumentation. The anesthesia monitors and equipment used in the operating room are studied to ensure introduction to the operation, calibration, and interpretation of data.  The application and monitoring of the following will be further discussed: ECG, arterial blood pressure, oximetry, cardiac output, respiratory gas analysis, and respiration.  The practical application of this course will be applied in courses AAS 680/690 to allow students to build on their knowledge and practice using the machines, monitoring, and equipment necessary to succeed in the profession.

AAS 660- Pharmacology for Anesthesiology II
This course provides the basic understanding of pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics.  The course will place emphasis on anesthesiology drugs.  The drugs or drug classes studied in this course are: nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, anti-dysrhythmic, calcium channel blockers, diuretics, antihistamines, endocrine system related medications (diabetes, thyroid, steroids), and antimicrobials.  

AAS 670 – Clinical Anesthesiology Experience II
This course will prepare students to be part of and work within the anesthesia care team.  The students will be immersed in the clinical experience learning the basics of anesthesia: induction, maintenance, and emergence.  This clinical experience allows the student to further development of pre-op anesthesia evaluations, selection of anesthesia care plans, application of universal precautions, and infection control.  

AAS 680 – Anesthesiology Laboratory II
This course will allow students to expand their knowledge from the prior semester and continue to obtain hands-on experience to correlate with the lecture and simulation materials being learned in the classroom and simulator. The students will be introduced to, intra-arterial catheter placement, central line placement, spinal insertion, epidural insertion, advanced airway devices and insertion, and advanced anesthesia delivery systems.  

AAS 690 – Anesthesiology Simulation II
This course will allow students to continue to gain insight on being part of and working within the anesthesia care team.  The students will be immersed into the high fidelity anesthesia simulation lab learning advancements in anesthesia: induction, maintenance, and emergence.  The simulation lab allows the student to further work on pre-op anesthesia evaluations, selecting anesthesia care plans, using universal precautions, and infection control.  Students will correlate the knowledge learned in the classroom to anesthesia simulation scenarios.

AAS 700– Anesthesiology Principles and Practice II
This course explores the formulation of an anesthetic care plan based upon preoperative evaluation information.  Students will learn how to formulate care plans based on the surgical procedure and patient health history.  

AAS 740- Pathophysiology for Anesthesiology II
This course provides students the fundamental knowledge of basic and applied physiology, expanding upon previous semester learnings.  The course will focus on physiology and pathophysiology as it relates to anesthesiology.  Students will use their knowledge of pathophysiology to formulate anesthetic care plans.  

AAS 745 – ECG for Anesthesiology
This course will give students the knowledge of electrocardiography.  Students will understand what may cause an alteration in the ECG, both acutely and chronically.  Throughout the course, students will be able to identify rhythm strips peri-operatively.  The course will include the monitoring, interpretation, and management of conditions affecting the cardiovascular and pulmonary systems. In this course, each student will be updated on basic life saving for the healthcare provider (BLS), advanced cardiac lifesaving (ACLS) and pediatric advanced lifesaving (PALS).  

AAS 760- Pharmacology for Anesthesiology III
This course provides the basic understanding of pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics.  The course will place emphasis on anesthesiology drugs and potential interactions.  The drugs or drug classes studied in this course are anti-psychotics, seizure drugs, obstetric drugs, anticoagulants, herbals, electrolytes, transfusion medications, bronchodilators, antihistamines, nutrition, as well as an emphasis on review of all drugs from AAS 750/760.

AAS 770 – Clinical Anesthesiology Experience III
This course will prepare students to be part of and work within the anesthesia care team.  The students will be immersed in the clinical experience learning the basics of anesthesia: induction, maintenance, and emergence.  This clinical experience allows the student to further development of pre-op anesthesia evaluations, selection of anesthesia care plans, application of universal precautions, and infection control.

AAS 780 – Anesthesiology Laboratory III
This course will allow students to expand their knowledge from the prior semester and continue to obtain hands-on experience to correlate with the lecture and simulation materials being learned in the classroom and simulator. The students will be introduced to ultrasound, echocardiography, and ultrasound IV access, regional anesthesia peripheral nerve blocks, gastric tube insertion, advanced airway devices and insertion, and advanced anesthesia delivery systems.  

AAS 790 – Anesthesiology Simulation III
This course will allow students to continue to gain insight on being part of and working within the anesthesia care team.  The students will be immersed into the high fidelity anesthesia simulation lab learning advancements in anesthesia: induction, maintenance, and emergence.  The simulation lab allows the student to further work on pre-op anesthesia evaluations, selecting anesthesia care plans, using universal precautions, and infection control.  Students will correlate the knowledge learned in the classroom to anesthesia simulation scenarios.

AAS 870– Clinical Anesthesiology Experience IV
This course will prepare students to be part of and work within the anesthesia care team.  The students will be immersed in the clinical experience, based on a full time schedule of 40 hour weekly minimum.  The student will build off of the learning in the previous 3 semester’s basics of anesthesia: induction, maintenance, and emergence.  This clinical experience allows the student to begin pre-op anesthesia evaluations, selecting anesthesia care plans, universal precautions, intra-arterial catheter insertion, central line insertion, peripheral nerve blocks, spinal insertion, epidural insertion, and infection control.  The students will complete their specialty rotations in their 2nd year experiences.

AAS 885- Transition to 2nd year Practice I
This course will prepare students for clinical progression and promotion from 1st year to 2nd year AA students.  Students will meet each week with faculty to reinforce clinical decision making and discuss unique clinical scenarios.  

AAS 886- Anesthesiology Review I
This course will prepare students for the NCCAA exam and will include practice exams and discussions based upon the exam questions.

AAS 970– Clinical Anesthesiology Experience V
This course will prepare students to be part of and work within the anesthesia care team.  The students will be immersed in the clinical experience, based on a full time schedule of 40 hour weekly minimum.  The student will build off of the learning in the previous 4 semester’s basics of anesthesia: induction, maintenance, and emergence.  This clinical experience allows the student to complete pre-op anesthesia evaluations, select anesthesia care plans, universal precautions, intra-arterial catheter insertion, central line insertion, peripheral nerve blocks, spinal insertion, epidural insertion, and infection control.  The students will complete their specialty rotations in their 2nd year experiences.  .

AAS 985- Transition to 2nd year Practice II
This course will prepare students for clinical progression and promotion from 1st year to 2nd year AA students.  Students will meet each week with faculty to reinforce clinical decision making and discuss complex clinical scenarios.  

AAS 986- Anesthesiology Review II
This course will prepare students for the NCCAA exam and will include practice exams and discussions based upon the exam questions.  In the review, students will be updated on basic life saving for the healthcare provider (BLS), advanced cardiac lifesaving (ACLS) and pediatric advanced lifesaving (PALS).  

AAS 1070– Clinical Anesthesiology Experience VI
This course will prepare students to be part of and work within the anesthesia care team.  The students will be immersed in the clinical experience, based on a full time schedule of 40 hour weekly minimum.  The student will build off of the learning in the previous 4 semester’s basics of anesthesia: induction, maintenance, and emergence.  This clinical experience allows the student to complete pre-op anesthesia evaluations, select anesthesia care plans, universal precautions, intra-arterial catheter insertion, central line insertion, peripheral nerve blocks, spinal insertion, epidural insertion, and infection control.  The students will complete their specialty rotations in their 2nd year experiences.  

AAS 1085- Transition to Clinical Practice
This course will prepare students for promotion from 2nd year to clinical practice.  Students will begin to be prepared for the job market and placement.  The course will prepare students for graduation and post-graduation.  Financial literacy will be a focus of this course, providing information on student loan repayment plans, protecting income, job offer contracts, anesthesia billing, and leadership opportunities post-graduation.  The course will prepare the student for advocacy and ethics within the profession, while ensuring personal wellness in their new careers.

AAS 1086- Anesthesiology Review III
This course will prepare students for the NCCAA exam with practice exams, review current literature articles and pertinent case experiences the students participated in, which will be discussed with the class.