Faculty from the UNMC Department of Anesthesiology are playing a key role in shaping the future of the specialty through their work as examiners and exam writers for the American Board of Anesthesiology (ABA) and other national organizations.
Sasha Shillcutt, MD, said the department stands out nationally for the number of faculty involved in board-level examination activities. “Not many departments across the country have as many ABA examiners and subspecialty exam writers, placing us among an elite group that helps shape the standards of the specialty,” she said.
These roles demand an extraordinary time commitment, Dr. Shillcutt said.
“Faculty dedicate countless hours outside of their clinical duties to write, review and administer exams, attend board meetings and contribute to the development and maintenance of certification processes,” she said. “Their efforts ensure that board-certified anesthesiologists meet the highest standards of patient care and professional competence.”
Each year, the number of ABA exams grows, and so does the time required to examine and certify qualified candidates. UNMC faculty members also contribute to the ongoing development of Maintenance of Certification (MOCA) questions, further supporting the specialty’s lifelong learning goals.
“We literally set the bar for our specialty,” Dr. Shillcutt said. “And it takes hours of volunteer time to do this so we can grow our clinical capabilities and maintain excellence across the field.”
Department Chair Andrew Patterson, MD, PhD, acknowledged faculty efforts to serve the profession through leadership, scholarship and dedication, saying, “Having numerous individuals engaged in the board examination process helps our education team calibrate the education program based upon national expectations.”
Sheila Ellis, MD
Dr. Ellis has served as an American Board of Anesthesiology (ABA) examiner for over 20 years and currently holds the role of senior examiner for the applied exam, which includes both the Standardized Oral Exam (SOE) and the Objective Structured Clinical Exam (OSCE). In addition to her examiner responsibilities, Dr. Ellis is a content writer and senior editor for the SOE, overseeing the editing and refinement of exams created by other contributors.
Each year, Dr. Ellis dedicates significant time to the exam process, including traveling to Raleigh to administer applied exams and spending one to two additional weeks remotely evaluating OSCE exams. She also plays a key role in mentoring new exam writers, ensuring that exam content is comprehensive, logically structured and clearly presented.
“I feel proud to be a small part of maintaining the highest standards for our profession and being one of the last lines of review before certifying the proficiency of the candidates,” she said. “The anesthesiologists who work on the exams and the ABA staff are so dedicated and committed, and, despite the image the test takers may have, they truly are among the kindest and nicest people. They really want everyone to succeed and try to give all the best environment possible.”
Rebecca Aron, MD
Dr. Aron has served as an exam writer for the ABA for the past eight years. She began her involvement as a junior author for the MOCA Minute before becoming an editor. She later contributed to the inaugural Adult Cardiac Anesthesiology (ACA) exam, playing a key role in both writing and editing its first iteration. Dr. Aron now serves as chair of the ACA Maintenance of Certification (MOC) Committee, overseeing the ongoing development and quality of the ACA MOC questions that certified anesthesiologists must answer to maintain their subspecialty certification.
In her current role, Dr. Aron meets monthly with the ABA and her vice chair to address any issues that may arise throughout the year, including the appointment of new authors and the reappointment of current writers. Annually, the ACA committee convenes for a two-day in-person meeting to thoroughly review all new content and questions, and update the exam’s content outline as necessary.
Dr. Aron said she finds her work with the ABA deeply rewarding, saying it helps her to stay current on advances in anesthesia and cardiac anesthesiology.
“Writing high-quality board questions is more challenging than many expect; everyone thinks it’s easy until they start doing it,” Dr. Aron said. “It requires strict adherence to ABA guidelines and a deep understanding of educational best practices.”
Amy Duhachek-Stapelman, MD
Dr. Duhachek-Stapelman began her work with the ABA as a new examiner for the applied exam in 2019 and was promoted to associate examiner in 2023. As an examiner, she travels to Raleigh annually to assess candidates throughout a dedicated week of oral exams. She also participates in remote scoring of OSCE scenarios during two additional one-week periods each year, with an expected volume of approximately 50 exams per session.
Her involvement with the ABA began as a member of the Maintenance of Certification in Anesthesia (MOCA) Redesign Users’ Group from 2014-2015. In 2017, she joined the ABA OSCE Committee, where she remains an active member, contributing specifically within the echocardiography/PoCUS skill group sub-committee. This role includes twice-yearly in-person meetings in Raleigh and asynchronous development of exam scenarios.
“Being involved with the ABA has been very rewarding over the last decade. It has allowed me to interact with peers in anesthesiology from across the U.S. and to help ensure graduating residents are prepared to practice independently,” Dr. Duhachek-Stapelman said. “In addition, the insight I gain from involvement in the exam process has helped me to prepare our own residents, fellows and new faculty to take the examination.”
Andrea Dutoit, MD
Dr. Dutoit was selected to serve as an examiner for the American Board of Anesthesiology (ABA) beginning in January 2025. Her new responsibilities will include at least two weeks per year dedicated to board examination activities in Raleigh and OSCE review.
As a residency program director, Dr. Dutoit said she views this role as an opportunity to remain at the forefront of standards and practices in anesthesiology education. “ABA examiners are the experts in how the ABA defines the future of our field,” she said. “It’s my responsibility to understand this process as deeply as possible so I can guide residents and fellows through this major milestone in their careers.
“I’m excited to become a part of the ABA applied examiner team and am thankful to have mentors here locally at UNMC to help me through the process.”
Thomas Schulte, MD
Dr. Schulte has served on the Perioperative Transesophageal Echocardiography (PTE) Basic Exam Writing Committee for the National Board of Echocardiography since 2019. In this role, he contributes extensively to the creation and statistical evaluation of exam questions for the Basic PTE exam, including ongoing contributions to the Maintenance of Certification in Echocardiography, the continuing education platform for maintaining certification.
His commitment involves writing questions, sourcing echo images and participating in biannual, four-day in-person meetings to analyze and finalize exams. Dr. Schulte values the collaboration with fellow anesthesiologists from around the world, noting that the work keeps his echocardiography knowledge current and intellectually sharp.
In addition to his exam committee role, Dr. Schulte serves on the board of directors for the Association of Anesthesia Clinical Directors, where he is currently president elect In his previous role as secretary, he was instrumental in organizing the AACD Perioperative Leadership Summit, overseeing speaker selection, educational programming and thematic development for the conference.
His involvement with the AACD Board has fostered meaningful connections with clinical directors, department chairs and perioperative leaders globally. He said the board is a valuable platform for exchanging ideas and solutions to operational challenges in the operating room.
Sasha Shillcutt, MD
Dr. Shillcutt has served as an examiner for the ABA and the National Board of Echocardiography since 2016. For the ABA, she serves as both an SOE and OSCE examiner. In addition, she is a member of the Advanced Perioperative Transesophageal Echocardiography (TEE) Exam Writing Committee for the NBE.
Her role with the National Board of Echocardiography involves extensive contributions to question writing and evaluation. Dr. Shillcutt spends over 100 hours per year in this capacity, including more than 80 hours in person at national meetings where she and her colleagues review each exam question for fairness, statistical performance and alignment with certification standards. She also helps revise content outlines and participates in the standardization process by taking the exam herself every five years.
“Being a board examiner is a direct investment into certifying future anesthesiologists,” Dr. Shillcutt said. “Without our time and volunteerism, we wouldn’t have enough exams to meet the growing demand for clinicians. I believe in promoting best practices and ensuring patients have safe, board-certified physicians leading their care.”