Five Questions with Christine Hunter, MD as told to Gregory Bean Christine Hunter, MD, was appointed acting chair of the RWJMS Department of Anesthesiology in 2002. In 2005, she became chair of the medical school department and Chief of Anesthesia at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. The position entails both administrative and clinical oversight. Tell us a little bit about yourself. I was raised in Pompton Plains, NJ, and earned my medical degree from Howard University College of Medicine, where I also completed a transitional internship in 1986. I chose my specialty during my third year of medical school. After an elective spent in the operating room, I was “hooked.” I completed my residency at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York from 1986 to 1989, where I focused on neuroanesthesia, and became a Diplomat of the American Board of Anesthesiologists in 1991. Although my career keeps me very busy, I find some time for my hobbies, which include swimming, decorating and travel.

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Explain the clinical oversight component of your job

Clinical practice is a major part of my daily activity, and I plan to continue to be involved with it since I find it very rewarding. The main focus of my clinical practice includes neurosurgery, thyroid and parathyroid, management of the difficult airway, and pediatric anesthesia. I also take full call including coverage of obstetrics and trauma. Care of patients is both challenging and gratifying.

Is teaching a major part of your workday?

I am responsible for the overall education of anesthesia residents and medical students. While working in the operating room, I have direct involvement in their education. The reward is to see residents blossom into full anesthesiologists, being able to function with pride in their profession. I also enjoy hearing from graduates of the anesthesia residency program, talking about the complex clinical situations they find themselves in and how they use the skills learned during their residency to care successfully for patients.

You’ve been at the forefront of many advances in your field. Describe some of them.

There are neurosurgical procedures for which I have developed the anesthetic protocol. They include DBS (deep brain stimulation), and thermal laser ablation, as well as awake craniotomies for functional mapping. I have also developed a sedation protocol for minimally invasive thyroid and parathyroid surgeries performed under superficial cervical plexus block.

What do you like best about your job?

I enjoy seeing the growth and accomplishments of the medical students and the residents. I’m grateful for the opportunity to continue to work in the clinical arena. To be able to take care of challenging situations and to improve patients’ care in a peri-operative setting is my reward.