Residents & Trainees

I am an Anaesthesiology resident at CHTMAD, in the north of Portugal, and a member of the Portuguese Regional Anaesthesia Society Trainee' Section, also.
Since my early days as a trainee, regional anaesthesia (RA) has unceasingly fascinated and surprised me and I have become its enthusiast.
I am motivated to belong to such a daring project, as throughout times I always searched for something in which, coupled with academic/professional life, I could outline a distinct path towards self-development, whether through belonging/leading academic groups, theatre, mobility or volunteer programs.
I see in ESRA an opportunity to grow myself in this sense, individually and professionally, undoubtedly because of the human capital that composes it.
I strongly believe that basic training in RA should be disseminated as a fundamental practice, and advanced training should be easily accessible.
I am fully determined to fulfil the proposed mission and actively represent the residents/trainees. I value teamwork, have strong work ethics and foster positive interpersonal relationships. Likewise, critical thinking and commitment are my hallmarks, and, of course, my verve for regional anaesthesia. I’m all in.

Hello, I'm Dr. Fani Alevrogianni, currently in my second year of residency in Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care at KAT Hospital in Athens, Greece. KAT Hospital is the largest accident and trauma center in the region, providing a dynamic and challenging environment for critical patient care.

Since the early days of my medical career, I've been captivated by the intricacies of regional anesthesia and its significant impact on perioperative management. This fascination has fueled my determination to improve the accessibility of knowledge and training in regional anesthesia, with the ultimate goal of optimizing patient outcomes.

In my perspective, it's crucial to actively involve trainees in the activities of the European Society of Regional Anaesthesia and Pain Therapy (ESRA). I advocate for further enhancing the existing resident involvement within the annual ESRA congress. This initiative aims to provide trainees with an expanded platform to present their reports, actively participate in discussions on key themes, and demonstrate regional anesthesia practices from their respective hospitals and countries. Building upon the current structure, this effort seeks to deepen the engagement and contributions of trainees during the congress sessions.

I strongly believe in the power of networking and collaboration. Establishing a global network of residents in the field could provide valuable opportunities for cultural and professional exchange, contributing to personal growth and a broader understanding of regional anesthesia practices worldwide.

As the Greek ESRA trainee representative, I'm excited about the prospect of exchanging knowledge and experiences. In this role, I aim to foster a spirit of collaboration among trainees, bridging gaps, and facilitating a supportive environment for learning and contributing to the advancement of regional anesthesia on a global scale.

I am a 2 year resident in anesthesia and intensive care at Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark. I am 30 years old, and I graduated from medical school in 2017. I was fortunate to be trained in regional anesthetic techniques from my first day in anesthesia. However, i know that not all trainees are that fortunate, and for some, the training and supervision is sparse. I would like to improve education and training of regional anesthesia, among young trainees like myself.

During my first year as specialist in training I was exposed to the art of regional anaesthesia and the multitude of techniques it offers to accomplish adequate peri-procedural anaesthesia and comfortable patient care.

Consequently, I was aware of the challenge ahead to translate these techniques into a concise and generally available curriculum to other trainees and I am motivated to support initiatives and develop strategies to advance the effort of improving the formation for other trainees.

Being a trainee representative in the Belgian society of anaesthesia trainees (BAT) and in the Belgian Association of Regional Anaesthesia (BARA), I have turned these goals into actions through various events organised by the societies. The BARA board recognised my commitment and as a result saw me fit for the election as ESRA trainee representative.

I intend to continue my efforts and aim to form bonds and collaborations with my European colleagues to achieve the beforementioned goals and as a result we may improve the formation for the European trainees as a whole.

My name is Javier Nieto. I am a second year trainee in Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine. I am based in Málaga, working and learning at Hospital Costa del Sol in Marbella. I chose my hospital since trainees are highly educated in RA since the first year. I think regional anesthesia is the field with more chance of evolving and developing in the next years, since we are finding every team more and more surgeries where we can apply them improving the recovery and the state of our patients. Since 2022 I was elected as representative of ESRA Spain. I am quite delighted to learn from ESRA experts and all the opportunities they offer. In my opinion, trainees should be taught or introduced to the use of ultrasound techniques since the start. My aim after I am finished as a trainee is to be able to apply RA in my daily practice in all types of surgeries.

I am a 4th year anesthesiology and intensive care resident at the University Hospital of Marburg, a city close to Frankfurt, Germany.
During my first year of training I was already introduced to the techniques of regional anesthesia and taught the advantages in clinical practice, such as reducing postoperative pain. Since then, I became very interested in RA and practice it as often as possible. I think it is very important that every resident has the possibility to learn and practice regional anesthesia from the beginning of residency. Therefore, I intend to improve the accessibility of knowledge and training of RA.
As the German ESRA trainee representative, I am looking forward to exchanging knowledge and experiences, and therefore learning from one another.

My name is Alessandro Strumia, I am a second-year Italian resident in Anesthesiology, Intensive Care and Pain Medicine at Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome. In Italy the training is 5 years long and offers the opportunity to rotate between all the branches of anesthesiology and critical care. I was elected as trainee representative for the ESRA Italian Chapter, the loco-regional anesthesia Italian society, in 2020. I am strongly interested in regional anesthesia; I practice RA almost every day at my hospital and I am involved in several RA related researches and protocols. I think that RA and its applications could be the future gold-standard for fast-track surgery, especially in the elderly or in patients with multiple comorbidities. For this reason, every anesthesiology resident should receive a complete and detailed training in the field of RA. In my opinion, trainees should be involved as much as possible in ESRA activities; it would be great to create an entire resident session inside the annual ESRA congress where trainees could present their own reports, confront themselves on most important themes and show how RA is performed in their own hospitals and countries. Moreover, creating a network between residents from different countries could create opportunity for cultural and professional exchange and consequently enhance personal growth.

Commitment, professionalism and decisiveness. Characteristics that define who I am and how I work. My name is Gijs van der Veen and I am a 4th year Anesthesiology resident at Radboudumc in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. As Dutch representative I am looking forward to exchange ideas and experiences in regional anesthesia with European colleagues.

I believe that every anesthesiologist should incorporate regional anesthesia in his practice. As this can provide better pain control, reduce the risk of complications, speed up recovery times and reduce the need for opioids. I want to improve accessibility of knowledge and training, so every resident can enhance his skillset and become a specialist in regional anesthesia.

When I'm not working, I love mountain biking in the forests around Nijmegen or trying out new trails. When I'm feeling more creative, I enjoy woodworking and designing my own furniture. I also have a passion for travel and discovering new cultures. I've spent time living and working in South Africa and Suriname, and I've traveled extensively throughout South America and Europe.