Training to be an historian of anesthesia: options at universities in the United States

Study ObjectiveTo determine whether a lack of training opportunities explains the finding that few anesthesia historians have obtained formal training in history.DesignProspective study.SettingUniversity hospital.MeasurementsA list of 128 medical schools within the United States (U.S.) was obtained from the Association of American Medical Colleges and information about graduate programs in history, history of science, and history of medicine was gathered. Editorial board members of journals affiliated with professional associations in history, history of science, and history of medicine were also queried.Main ResultsWe were unable to identify any U.S. institution that offered graduate training in history of anesthesia, while only a handful offered such training in history of medicine. As a result, individuals wishing to pursue doctoral training in history of medicine often enroll in programs devoted to history of science, but with an emphasis on medicine. The vast majority of affiliated universities offer doctoral programs in history. We identified programs that may be considered centers of excellence based on affiliations of editorial board members.ConclusionsGraduate training in history of anesthesia is currently unavailable, and specific opportunities in history of medicine are quite limited. Individuals wishing to obtain formal training in history of anesthesia need to enroll in a history of science or history of medicine program, and choose a research topic in history of anesthesia.