Meet the Residents

Welcome to the Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care at Saint Louis University School of Medicine. We are delighted by your interest in our residency program. We would like to highlight why completing the next phase of your training at SLU is a unique and fulfilling experience in the heart of a beautiful city.

The breadth of clinical training offered at SLU is unmatched and prepares residents for independent practice following graduation. As an active Level 1 trauma center, our residents quickly gain experience and expertise in advanced resuscitation by caring for high-acuity patients, both in the operating room and intensive care unit. 

As a clinical-based year intern, you will rotate through several months of medical and surgical subspecialties. Of note, our intern year includes five months within the anesthesiology department. This includes pre-anesthesia clinic, anesthesiology critical care, practice management — a course in which you will develop health care administration skills — chronic pain and our June OR boot-camp month, which will prepare you for the transition into the OR. These months will allow you to form bonds with your anesthesiology colleagues and develop interdepartmental relationships with surgical and medical residents.

We are fortunate to have a state-of-the-art hospital as our main clinical site. SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital will serve as your home for the majority of your residency. Other clinical sites for training are within the St. Louis metropolitan area, including SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital (next door to SLU Hospital with new facilities scheduled to open in 2027), SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital -- St. Louis, John J. Cochran Veterans Hospital and Mercy Hospital St. Louis. You will build a strong academic and procedural foundation through early, broad exposure to many diverse cases. Our ever-evolving curriculum allows for the flexibility to meet the needs of each resident as they develop throughout their clinical years.

Our academic curriculum incorporates a wide range of educational approaches, including weekly didactic lectures, journal clubs, grand rounds, morbidity and mortality conference, hands-on ultrasound workshops, oral board preparation and simulation lab sessions. Many of our residents travel and present at national and subspecialty anesthesia conferences. Our curriculum will help you build an excellent knowledge foundation to effectively take advantage of the medically complex cases offered here at SLU.

Anesthesiology residency at SLU guarantees a strong clinical education and a tight-knit departmental family that genuinely cares about your well-being. Monthly department-sponsored socials around the city embody our commitment to fostering a cohesive community. Our program is constantly working to better both the academic and social aspects of resident life. The SLU campus is situated near downtown, the national award-winning Forest Park, and many of the unique neighborhoods in the St. Louis area. Whether you are interested in family fun, nightlife, food, music or sports, St. Louis has exciting options for everyone.

Ultimately, our anesthesiology residency will give you a strong, balanced and supportive environment to gain superior clinical skill and knowledge that will lay the foundation for any career path you choose.

We look forward to meeting you!

Jessica Bennion, D.O., and Alec Garcia, M.D.
Chief residents

Where They Went

2025 Graduates

Fellowships

• Chronic pain anesthesia, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
• Critical care anesthesia, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
• Regional Anesthesia, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri

Private Practice

• Annapolis, Maryland
• Grand Junction, Colorado
• Flagstaff, Arizona
• Topeka, Kansas
• Cape Girardeau, Missouri
• Washington, Missouri

Military

• Air Force, SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital

2024 Graduates

Fellowships

• Cardiothoracic anesthesia, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas
• Cardiothoracic anesthesia, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
• Chronic pain, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 

Academic

• SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital, St. Louis (four graduates)

Private Practice

• Vacaville, California
• Hudson, Florida
• Indianapolis