Maine Medical Center
a group of residents rafting on a river

Anesthesiology Residency

Message from the Chair of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine

W. Chase Boyd, MD

Welcome to the Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine at Maine Medical Center, and thank you for taking the time to learn more about our residency program!

Maine Medical Center is a Level 1 trauma center and a tertiary referral base for over one million people. It is a nationally-recognized regional leader for open-heart surgery, vascular and thoracic surgery, pediatric surgery, high-risk obstetrics, neurosurgery, and orthopedic surgery. Our department is comprised of approximately 60 anesthesiologists, 23 anesthesia residents, 2 cardiothoracic anesthesia fellows and 80 CRNA's. Together, we take pride in the delivery of clinical care focused on excellence, compassion, collaboration and innovation. Additionally, we are committed to the educational development of outstanding, well rounded clinicians and health care leaders as well as the advancement of knowledge through scientific and clinical discovery. We recently expanded our residency to eight categorical residency positions per year.

Founded in 1953, our residency program maintains a long tradition of outstanding and rigorous clinical training which is unique due to the small size of our residency relative to our case volume. Maine Medical Center provides over 40,000 anesthetics per year at our Bramhall Campus and Scarborough Ambulatory Surgery Center. Our large surgical volume and small residency size allows us to assign residents based primarily on their educational needs rather than our clinical demands. Over the years we have been fortunate to recruit a variety of incredibly strong clinical teachers from all regions of the country, providing rich and diverse training for our residents. The majority of our faculty members are fellowship trained and more than half of our residents go on to obtain fellowships. The excellence of our residency program is reflected in our consistently strong match results.

Another unique feature of our department is our focus on work-life balance and our family-like atmosphere. While we are dedicated clinicians, educators and investigators, we are also dedicated parents, athletes, pilots, sailors, artists, musicians, etc. We believe a healthy balance between work and personal life is the key to long, productive and rewarding careers. It is also more fun working with interesting people!

Portland, Maine - located in the heart of New England and just two hours north of Boston, offers a unique and broad variety of activities and amenities. Easy access to skiing, fishing, hiking, sailing, rafting and biking as well as live music, restaurants and a thriving arts scene provides something for everyone!

We are very proud of our program and truly appreciate your interest. If you are seeking an anesthesiology residency program that offers a unique and rigorous clinical experience, educational and research excellence and a commitment to work-life balance, then I encourage you to contact us for further information.

W. Chase Boyd, MD
Interim Chair, Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine

The Resident Experience at Maine Medical Center

Anesthesiology Residency Program at Maine Medical Center


After three incredible years at Maine Medical Center, we (Meredith and Jay) are so proud to serve as the 2023-2024 Anesthesia Chief Residents. We had the pleasure to work and learn alongside four incredible former chiefs, who have left daunting shoes to fill, but a smooth path to follow. Yussr taught us that you can have poise and professionalism when it counts and still make your attendings laugh. Derek showed us that leadership doesn’t always mean being the biggest presence in the room, but that quiet stoicism has profound effects. Travis exemplified academic pursuits and resident engagement above and beyond any resident in the program; his remarkable work ethic set an incredibly high bar in his lead-by-example approach. Gui contributed his extensive anesthetic knowledge from a previous international career while also having the humility and grace to return to residency with a continued drive to learn.

Although the road we start on is well-maintained, there are unavoidable detours, potholes, and occasionally a moose blocking the way (it is Maine after all!) We are welcoming our first class of eight residents, the largest clinical anesthesia class in MMC history. This change reflects the dedication and tireless work of our program director, Dr. James Flowerdew. Such growth brings challenges in scheduling, staffing, and simply supporting the additional learners; but our senior residents are up to the task. Perioperative services will see a drastic burgeoning as we add a new tower to the MMC campus. The Malone Family Tower will house additional operating rooms, intensive care units, and procedural areas. As the hospital expands, obstacles arise, but the opportunities for our residents continue to grow. The department always considers the interests of the residency in its plans to ensure our learners have an unparalleled clinical education.

As we journey through residency, it is impossible not to notice the stunning scenery, the smell of the ocean, and the company we have by our sides. Maine continues to be an incredible place to live. Residents surf, ski, snowboard, mountain bike, run half marathons, hike mountains, camp under the stars, play soccer, volleyball, pickleball, and hockey. We have class dinners and happy hours at the countless watering holes in downtown Portland. We have fallen in love with our coresidents’ dogs, cats, spouses, and children. We have shared birthdays, weddings, and holidays. Our attendings have invited us to their homes for pool parties and pizza. We had so many potential candidates for attending of the year that we had to change the selection process so every class could nominate a mentor of their choice! If you ask the residents why they chose MMC, many will say it was the quality, brilliance, and approachability of our attendings. It’s no wonder so many residents return to MMC to work in this beautiful, collegial, and stimulating environment.

No self-respecting anesthesiologist would embark on a trip without a plan: scheduled stops for gas, a packing list, snacks. Being prepared and vigilant are our top qualities, after all. So as the incoming chiefs, we have set out some goals for the future. We are taking steps to break down any barriers between the folks that we work most closely with. We are planning happy hours with CRNAs, journal clubs with OB-GYN residents, and hopefully some gatherings with our surgical colleagues as well. We will trial a significant scheduling change to reduce the call burden without losing the educational benefits that a long call shift provides. We have made changes to our “bootcamp” for incoming CA1s to better prepare them for life in the ORs and junior resident call. We will continue in the footsteps of our predecessors, holding residents accountable to achieving academic excellence through resident lectures, scholarly activities, test preparation, and encouraging the utmost clinical acumen. Along the way, we strive to demonstrate kindness, empathy, and intentionality to one another and to our patients.

We are honored to take up the mantle of an already thriving program that is flourishing thanks to the hard work of previous chiefs and program leadership. We hope you will consider our program—a hidden gem in the Northeast—and continue the journey with us. From experience, we can tell you that while the climb tests our limits, the company is top notch, and the views (much like propofol) will take your breath away.

- Meredith & Jay

MMC Anesthesiology Chief Residents

Adult Cardiothoracic Fellowship

The MaineHealth cardiothoracic anesthesiology team is part of the largest cardiothoracic surgical program in Northern New England. As such, we are committed to sharing our knowledge and experience with select residents to ensure the ongoing delivery of excellent care in the communities we serve.

Contact Us

Kristin Johnson, MS, C-TAGME
Program Manager, Department of Anesthesiology & Perioperative Medicine
Maine Medical Center
22 Bramhall Street
Portland, ME 04102
207-662-4594
Kristin.johnson@mainehealth.org