My name is Madeline Deabler, and I am a recent graduate of the Case Western Reserve University Master of Science in Anesthesia Program in Cleveland, Ohio. Now that the frenzy of boards, finals, and graduation has come to an end, I have had a lot of time to reflect on my past two years in graduate school. In my opinion, the most special aspect of the MSA Program is the diversity of experience and education that we get as students. We rotate at many different hospitals and get to see firsthand the different, yet successful ways to perform anesthesia. From learning how to perform spinals at Lutheran Hospital, to learning about the applications of more rare medications such as Haloperidol and Cisatracurium at Southwest General Hospital, to seeing carotid endarterectomies done under Monitored Anesthesia Care (MAC) at Lake Health West Medical Center, there is no shortage of learning experiences to be had in this program as a student.
I also had the opportunity to learn in cities and states outside of Cleveland, Ohio, reaching as far as Atlanta, Georgia and, close to my home, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Seeing how the practice of anesthesia varies not only from hospital to hospital, but also from state to state was very eye opening, and difficult because it is hard to adjust to hospitals performing anesthesia in different ways rather than just learning at a single facility. While this was frustrating at times, it was an incredible opportunity to expand my knowledge base in the field. I am incredibly lucky to have had all the opportunities to learn from so many different instructors, residents, and attending anesthesiologists that come from a variety of backgrounds and practices, and I look forward to incorporating the knowledge I gained from every rotation site into my own anesthesia practice.
I left my home in Wisconsin for Cleveland to attend CWRU as an undergraduate six years ago having no idea where my life would take me. I’m very excited to say that I’ll be returning home to Milwaukee to begin my career as a CAA at Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center. I had the chance to rotate there as a student, and I absolutely loved it. This hospital will provide a great opportunity for me to continue developing my skills and my knowledge. I’ll also have the privilege of teaching student AAs there, and I’m incredibly excited to begin passing down all of the knowledge, tips, skills, and advice in the field of anesthesia and medicine that was passed along to me.
Over my two years in this program, my practice of anesthesia has been influenced by many different instructors, residents, attending anesthesiologists, nurses, and surgeons coming from a total of twelve different hospitals across three different states—and I’m grateful for what each and every individual has taught me. The CWRU MSA Program has given me an incredible education, and I am beyond excited to begin my career as a certified anesthesiologist assistant!
About this post: The Student Spotlight series highlights MSA students in Cleveland, Houston, and Washington. The series is a student-led initiative, and is designed to share current student experiences with prospective students.