2024 © Uva Clinical Anaesthesia and Intensive Care ISSN 2827-7198 / Education / Postgraduate Medical Education in Anaesthesiology 2024 © Uva Clinical Anaesthesia and Intensive Care ISSN 2827-7198 / Postgraduate Medical Education in Anaesthesiology 2024 © Uva Clinical Anaesthesia and Intensive Care ISSN 2827-7198 / Postgraduate Medical Education in Anaesthesiology 1 A Modular Approach to Postgraduate Anaesthesia Indunil Karunarathna 1 , Sanjaya Godage 1 , PN Rodrigo 1 , Asoka Jayawardana 1 , U Vidanagama 1 , C Fernando 1 , U Ekanayake 1 , T Hapuarachchi 1 , P Gunasena 1 , P Aluthge 1 , N Perera 1 , S Gunathilake 1 , Kapila De Alvis 1 , K Gunawardana 1 , S Rajapaksha 1 , A Warnakulasooriya 1 , P Athulgama 1 , Sanjeewa Dius 1 , R Ranwala 1 , Sau Bandara 1 , 1. Ministry of Health / Teaching Hospital Badulla / University of Colombo. 2024 © Uva Clinical Anaesthesia and Intensive Care ISSN 2827-7198 / Education / Postgraduate Medical Education in Anaesthesiology Abstract: The primary goal of postgraduate medical education in anaesthesiology is to develop specialists who deliver the highest quality of care to patients, ensuring their return to the community with maximal functionality. Additionally, the program aims to advance medical science through research and training. A postgraduate anaesthesiologist is expected to recognize and address the health needs of the community while applying cognitive and psychomotor skills to deliver optimal anaesthetic care. They should also function as perioperative physicians, proficient in perioperative management, pain medicine, and critical care medicine. The 3-year postgraduate curriculum is designed to progressively train the anaesthesiology resident through basic, subspecialty, and advanced anaesthesia training. The structured curriculum is organized to provide ascending levels of complexity, challenging the intellectual and technical skills of trainees. Basic training emphasizes fundamental principles and techniques of anaesthetic management. Subspecialty training focuses on the theory, special considerations, and practices related to specific disciplines within anaesthesiology. The proposed training methodology adopts a modular, continuous, and systematic approach, objectively assessed and periodically reviewed. This ensures that trainees acquire comprehensive skills and knowledge, enabling them to manage a diverse range of medical conditions and scenarios by the end of their training. Keywords: Anaesthesiology, Postgraduate medical education, Continuing medical education (CME), Curriculum, National Education Policy (NEP), Perioperative physician, Subspeciality training, Critical care medicine, Pain management, Modular training, Objective assessment Key Points Objectives of Postgraduate Medical Education: Primary Objective: Train specialists to deliver high- quality care to patients and reintegrate them into the community with maximum functionality. Secondary Objective: Advance science through research and training. Role of an Anaesthesiologist: Act as a perioperative physician skilled in perioperative care, pain medicine, and critical care. Exhibit sound clinical judgment and technical expertise. Provide appropriate anaesthetic care in diverse situations, including emergencies. Collaborate with team members, patients, and families for tailored perioperative protocols. National Education Policy (NEP) Alignment: Focuses on access, equity, quality, and accountability. Highlights the need for re-envisioning medical education to meet contemporary requirements. Proposed Training Programme: Structured 3-Year Curriculum: Basic Anaesthesia Training: Fundamental aspects of anaesthetic management. Subspeciality Training: Theoretical and practical exposure in disciplines like obstetric, paediatric, cardiovascular, neuro, and regional anaesthesia, among others. Advanced Anaesthesia Training: Increasing levels of complexity to challenge the trainee's intellect and skills. Modular and Continuous Training: Organised into modules of increasing difficulty. Regular and frequent formative assessments (e.g., every 2 months). Ensures continuous evaluation rather than one-time examination- based judgment. Uniformity and Standardisation: Lack of standardisation in postgraduate anaesthesiology education and assessments is a challenge. A structured programme with objective evaluation at regular intervals is essential to improve training outcomes. Skill Enhancement through CMEs: Regular participation in conferences, workshops, and CME programmes to keep trainees updated.