“Nothing is more satisfying than taking a patient through the perioperative experience and seeing them healthy and with their family afterward.”
Meet ABA Director Robert Isaak, D.O., FASA
Robert Isaak, D.O., FASA began his term on the board of directors in October 2024. Dr. Isaak is a professor of anesthesiology and vice chair of education at the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill’s Department of Anesthesiology. He also serves as the director of simulation and section chief of liver transplant and vascular anesthesiology. Read his complete bio here.
Why are you passionate about anesthesiology?
I’ve been in practice for over 15 years, and I primarily practice at a large tertiary care academic medical setting. There, I work with residents and fellows, taking care of really challenging patients who are going through difficult times in their lives. Nothing is more satisfying than taking a patient through the perioperative experience and seeing them healthy and with their family afterward.
What would you say is one of the biggest misconceptions surrounding the field?
One of the biggest misconceptions surrounding anesthesiology is that our only role is to put patients to sleep and wake them up, having no interaction with the family or the patients themselves. I take great pride in spending time with all my patients before surgery, getting to know them and understanding their goals for their perioperative experience. The soft skills used in these pre- and post-operative settings comprise some of the principles of communication and professionalism that are built into the OSCE Exam component of our APPLIED Exam.
Why did you want to become a member of the ABA Board of Directors?
I wanted to become a member of the Board of Directors after serving as a volunteer for several years. My role at the ABA has included significant time working with the OSCE Committee, helping develop and administer the exam, and helping create the scenarios. Those experiences were incredibly fulfilling as I supported the ABA’s mission to advance the highest standards of the practice of anesthesiology. I hope that my role on the Board of Directors allows me to continue to innovate and develop new ways of assessing and providing feedback to both residents and diplomates on how to be the best anesthesiologist they can be.
What project are you most excited about as you begin your tenure on the board?
There is a myriad of different projects underway, including our strategic plan which looks toward the future of initial certification, continuing certification and the organization as a whole. I am looking forward to implementing those strategic plan initiatives over the next five years.
What value has volunteering with the ABA provided you personally and professionally?
I have been volunteering with the ABA for over 10 years and have had the opportunity to work on a variety of different projects and task forces. The majority of my time has been spent working on the OSCE Exam, where I’ve built strong relationships and friendships with anesthesiologists from around the country. Beyond the relationships, we have developed an exam that pushes the boundaries of what we can and should be assessing for diplomate anesthesiologists.
How have you utilized MOCA Minute?
Our institution has expanded into community practice and community-based hospital systems in recent years. I work in two of our community-based practices here in North Carolina, where I have the opportunity to work in a variety of areas I do not traditionally work in, including pediatric anesthesia, regional anesthesia and obstetrics anesthesia. I customize my MOCA Minute question breakdown to ensure it gives me questions in areas where I am an occasional practitioner to help me stay current and safely care for patients.
How have you seen your continuing certification activities translate to your practice?
Throughout my career, I have seen many new technologies implemented, including the advancement of ultrasound and point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) for regional nerve blocks and central lines. My maintenance of certification activity has focused on these areas of advancement, such as POCUS. By focusing on these new areas of development, my continuing certification activities ensure I have the skills to best take care of my patients and teach residents and fellows I work with daily the most accurate and up-to-date information.
What is your most frequently used ABA GO resource?
My most frequently used ABA Go resource is the CME Explorer. It’s a great resource to identify different conferences and resources that will supplement my CME board certification requirements. For example, I am interested in POCUS and I’ve used CME Explorer to find courses and workshops to practice POCUS.
What CME topics are you pursuing this year?
I am pursuing CME topics in various areas to supplement my practice and learn more regarding areas I’d like to move into. I am increasingly interested in artificial intelligence and how that might augment our practice in a variety of different ways, so examining that and how it may shape the future of anesthesiology has been a recent focus. I am an educator at heart, so I am often looking for ways to educate our residents and fellows better, looking at research that shows what leads to the best outcomes for our learners.
How do you think AI will shape the future of the practice?
I believe artificial intelligence is here to stay. We are going to find it has an impact on all our lives in various ways, and anesthesiology is only one of those. Artificial intelligence is going to enhance our practice, allow us to be more efficient with our time and make more timely decisions for patient care. It has the ability to guide us when we face challenges, such as difficult images to interpret on ultrasound or challenging clinical situations, to give us more information to take care of patients.
What do you think is important for residents to know about board certification?
Board certification exemplifies the gold standard for successfully completing residency. The ABA is there to partner with residents on their journey to certification and provide them with the resources they need to be successful physicians. This partnership begins when they are residents and continues as they transition into becoming an attending and having a successful career as an anesthesiologist.
What do you enjoy doing when you aren’t practicing anesthesiology?
When I’m not practicing anesthesiology, I enjoy spending time with my kids and wife. We love sports, especially soccer and tennis. You can find us either out at a soccer game, watching it on TV, talking about it or playing soccer video games all weekend.