The 24-month program consists of an academic and non-credit clinical residency which is divided into four semesters and two summers of course work. Formal classes begin in August of each year. Conferral of the Master's degree occurs in May of the second academic year. The clinical residency continues through the 24 months and must be completed to qualify for certification and practice.

With the aid of faculty instruction, academic knowledge is correlated with applied practice experiences which exceed the minimal requirement of the Council on Accreditation. Clinical training includes approximately 800 cases with over 1800 hours of clinical practicum experience. These anesthesia cases include pediatrics, obstetrics, geriatrics, open heart, neurological, plastic, otolaryngology, ophthalmology, urology, orthopedics, radiological and transplant procedures. Both elective and emergency anesthetics are given.

Students obtain obstetrical anesthesia experience through affiliation with Forsyth Medical Center Obstetrical Anesthesia Section which is an integral part of the Department of Anesthesiology of Wake Forest University School of Medicine. The hospital is located two miles from North Carolina Baptist Hospital. Various anesthesia experiences are provided at other clinical affiliates. Students provide their own transportation to and from all clinical sites.

Grading is on a 4.0 scale and the student must obtain an overall 3.0 quality point average to be eligible for graduation. Other graduation criteria include satisfactory completion of all clinical rotations in the program, payment of all fees and satisfactory completion of a comprehensive examination in the final semester of the program.