Welcome, Lauren.

Thanks, Nate.

So if you're an anesthesia intern like myself or if you're getting ready to start your intern year, you're probably wondering how you're supposed to prepare for all the procedures you'll be doing, from arterial line and central line placement to bronchoscopy.

The good news, there's actually a scientifically validated framework that many anesthesia residency programs use to assess residents' procedural abilities based on key competencies.

The assessment tool that I'm referring to is called the Direct Observation of Procedural Skills, or DOPS.

Now, as a full disclaimer, I'm far from an expert in any procedure.

I've just spent a lot of time looking into effective and efficient strategies for improving my own skills before CA-1.