To the editor:

In order to develop the Professional MBA (pMBA) combined anesthesiology residency at an academic medical center, the Anesthesiology Department and the School of Business integrated a weeknight curriculum. No special accommodations were made to the clinical rotation schedule, although an attempt was made to schedule call days around class days. The $102,854.00 MBA degree consists of 54 credit hours free of cost for anesthesiology residents. Residents enter the pMBA program in January of the CA-1 year and complete the program in conjunction with residency in July of the CA-3 year. Additionally, all residents were required to attend weekly conferences. The total number of cases and procedures each pMBA graduate completed was recorded based on case logs and analyzed during the last 2 years of residency. The numbers were compared and no difference in number or quality of procedures and cases were noted (total cases/procedures were 8035 and 8233 per MBA and non-MBA resident, respectively).

Notably, there has been no difference in clinical performance between combined MBA residents and non-MBA residents; also, combined MBA residents’ in-training exam (ITE) scores were indistinguishable from the national mean. The MBA degree provides value as it enhances the leadership potential of each graduate by specifically bolstering operations management skills in addition to other managerial qualities, which are becoming increasingly essential for perioperative medicine. Based on these data, we hope that more residency programs will consider implementing additional degrees during residency training.