Let me start by saying that if you’re reading this and are already scheduled to do your WWAMI rotation at ANMC though haven’t yet submitted your Alaska resident license application…stop reading and go do it. For real, you’ll thank me later. Getting that beast of an application out of the way about 4-6 months ahead of time will allow you to cruise on up to Anchorage stress-free knowing that you’ll be all set for your rotation!
Anyway, with that said, I spent my entire month of March in the ICU at ANMC and as those before me have already said, this was absolutely one of the best experiences that I’ve had in residency! As the only resident in the ICU, everyone is super willing to give you procedures and the attendings are all excellent teachers. By the end of the rotation I had done about 10 central lines (mix of IJs and subclavians), 2 intubations, 3 bronchoscopies, many arterial lines, and even a handful of chest tubes! Overall, you get a ton of autonomy and really feel like you are the primary provider for your patients, while the attendings are always available for guidance. The staff at ANMC are awesome and the ICU nurses in particular are very knowledgeable and always willing to help. From a cultural and systems perspective, working at ANMC is also really interesting as it serves the Native population not only in Anchorage but from all around Alaska. Many patients are flown in from various parts of the state, including Little Diomede, which is the westernmost island of 110 people that is right on the US/Russia border in the Bering Sea! The ICU itself is about 20ish beds, and they’re actually in the middle of some construction to expand it. The acuity of patients ranged quite a bit, and we certainly had some sick folks with interesting pathologies.
As far as Anchorage goes, it’s not a very big place but definitely has a lot going on! If you’re heading out in March, I would recommend catching the start of the Iditarod. Overall it was pretty darn chilly with temps in the negatives most of the month until late March and snow/ice pretty much everywhere. I stayed in an apartment close to the hospital and got around just fine in my trusty Ford Focus rental car, though there were a couple of hefty snow storms and those not used to driving in the snow might feel better with a 4WD. Otherwise it was awesome exploring the city and surrounding area. Check out the pics below!
