UK anesthesiology residents invite loved ones to step into their world

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 9, 2025) — After a hard day’s work, it’s only natural to talk through the day’s achievements and frustrations with trusted loved ones.  

But what if they don’t know what you're talking about?  

That’s the reality for many in the medical field, especially those with technical and extremely stressful jobs — like anesthesiologists. As the eyes and ears of sedated patients, anesthesiologists are one of the few specialties that care for patients before, during and after surgery. Like all physicians, they also risk burnout and the mistakes and job turnover that often result.  

In July, 17 University of Kentucky anesthesiology residents invited their friends and family to Anesthesiologist Well-Being Day — a chance to experience a “day in the life" in the hospital and through that, hopefully learn how they can best support their anesthesiologist-in-training. The eight-year-old program has endured as one of the many ways the UK College of Medicine prioritizes its students, residents and trainees.  

Parents, spouses, significant others and even one daughter got to watch their future anesthesiologists practice ultrasounds, intubations and sedations on mannequins in the state-of-the-art UK HealthCare Simulation Center.  

“We think creative and personal initiatives such as this are extremely important to support our resident physicians,” said Amy DiLorenzo, Ph.D., an associate dean for Graduate Medical Education in the UK College of Medicine. “This is such an exciting, but also busy and stressful time in their life – having the support and understanding of their loved ones along the way is a critical piece.”  

A pilot study 

Anesthesiologist Well-Being Day has been an annual practice since 2017 — when UK collaborated with the University of North Carolina’s Department of Anesthesiology on a pilot study to see if educating a resident’s loved ones could help them shoulder the intensive work-related stress a resident can endure.  

That original study, published in The Journal of Education in Perioperative Medicine, found that the people the resident invited did indeed learn more about the resident’s profession. While researchers suggested that further long-term study is needed to determine if the program boosts resident well-being, program leaders have found plenty of other benefits.  

All of those present for Anesthesiologist Well-Being Day receive important information on how to spot the signs and symptoms of depression, burnout and substance use disorder as well as a financial well-being talk to help put residents on the right track financially. Plus, families gain connections with program leaders should they ever have questions, concerns or suggestions.  

Attendees are also visited by UK’s Animal-Assisted Therapy team and their “wonderful” therapy dogs, said DiLorenzo — who has helped foster the program’s growth since the original study. Connie Jennings, M.D., the medical director of the UK Integrative Medicine & Health program, also gave a talk to demonstrate mindfulness and stress reduction techniques.  

As real as possible 

Spencer Hemmrich, an anesthesiology resident, invited his parents and girlfriend to the event in July. His mom happens to be a nurse anesthetist, so he was happy to show off what he’s learned so far while his dad and girlfriend aren’t well-versed in the medical field. 

“Being able to show them what I really enjoy most about the job is a lot of fun,” Hemmrich said. “Hands-on with the mannequins, it’s as real life as we can make it.”  

The 7,000-square-foot UK HealthCare Simulation Center, equipped with responsive mannequins, a realistic operating room and multiple simulated patient rooms, makes all that possible, says Zaki Hassan, M.D., who is both the chairman of the Department of Anesthesiology and the medical director for the simulation center.  

“If you have a mannequin you can’t hurt, then you can teach and display what we do in the operating room,” said Hassan. “That’s one of the best ways we can provide experience to the family and friends and help them understand what the residents are going through.” 

When Richard Ford Sr. was training to become a doctor in the 1990s, he practiced his growing expertise on real patients.  

“We had folks who suffered our near-competence before we got really good at what we did – and the oversight was intense – because we were working on real people,” said Ford Sr., M.D., a clinician at UK King’s Daughters in Ashland.  

But medical education has evolved. In July, Ford got to watch his son — first-year anesthesiology resident Richard Ford Jr., M.D. — practice his budding medical skills on mannequins in the simulation center.  

“Having your dad watch over your shoulder can add a little bit of stress,” said Ford Jr., a first-year anesthesiology resident. “But I wouldn’t have it any other way. It makes me grateful for how I was raised.” 

Ford Jr. is the latest in a long line of physicians in their family, many of them UK graduates. His father and grandfather were both physicians in Ashland, and he grew up watching them get recognized all over town. Upon graduation from medical school, he received his grandfather’s pocket watch.  

With physician shortages in Kentucky and nationwide, any effort to reduce burnout and increase retention will be a boost to the health of local communities.  

“Residents will graduate from training and many will leave UK at some point, but their loved ones will always be there in their lives — we believe whatever we can do to help facilitate that long-term support system will be valuable,” DiLorenzo said.