Department of Anesthesiology at All India Institute of Medical Sciences is one of the largest department which has over the years expanded from a nuclear family to a large joint family. The department was set up in 1956 under the leadership of Col. G.C. Tandon. Following his retirement in 1970, Prof. G.R. Gode took over and after his retirement in 1988, the department is currently running under the leadership of Prof. H.L. Kaul.

Over the years, along with the development of medical sciences, the department has set up its own high standards in patient care, education and research. All clinical departments are anchored to this specialty.

Residents join this department from various parts of the country as well as from abroad. The department follows an integrated approach and standard protocols for patient care, education and research . Postgraduate course (MD) is of three years duration and includes a thesis. Selection of junior residents for post graduates course is made twice a year i.e. in January and July. No diploma course is available for this specialty. A total of 24 seats are allotted to this department. Apart from regular seats sponsored candidates from different states are also allowed to join the course. The selection is based on an all-India entrance examination

All post graduates are rotated in all surgical specialties, Intensive Care and clinics. The department has a fixed guidelines for anesthetic procedures to be undertaken and the curriculum planning for the junior residents.

Thesis is essential for partial fulfillment for the final examination. All junior residents take part in the Didactic teaching activities regularly. The activities are for 4 days a week which includes seminars, journal clubs, case discussion, tutorials etc. This is in addition to daily teaching activity based on the cases conducted in the operation theatres & Intensive Care Unit.

Senior Residents are also rotated in all specialties except in cardiothoracic centre and Rotary Cancer Centre. They also actively take part in all academic and research activities. They are posted in village for 2 months

The department has formed a society called research society of Anesthesiology and allied Sciences (RAAS) and all residents and faculty are its members. Under the suspicies of this society, every year seminars and workshops are organized.

The department runs JACP (Journal of Anesthesiology and Clinical Pharmacology) which is indexed in Experts Medica (EM Base) and Ind. Med. It is also available on Internet at the Web site.

The department runs Anesthesia Clinic and Pain Clinic in the afternoons. In the pain clinic facilities for various modalities of pain therapy viz. regional blocks, neurolytic block, TENS, Acupuncture, Acupulsor etc. are available.

National & International conferences, workshops and continuous medical education programmes are organized by the department regularly.