Obstetric Anesthesiology

About Us
Application Process
Curriculum
Meet Our Team
Research

Our Obstetric Anesthesiology Fellowship, established in 1996, achieved ACGME accreditation in 2013. We currently offer two fellowship positions per year. The primary training site is Parkland Memorial Hospital, a busy community hospital with approximately 14,000 deliveries annually and an 80-85% neuraxial rate. You will also train at Clements University Hospital, which has approximately 1,500 deliveries annually and an 85-90% neuraxial rate. Both hospitals care for high-risk, diverse patient populations and are certified SOAP Centers of Excellence.

We are a dynamic, collaborative team dedicated to excellence in maternal care. This fellowship is designed to refine your clinical expertise in obstetric anesthesia, deepen your understanding of high-risk maternal-fetal medicine, and cultivate leadership in patient safety, education, and research. Throughout the year you will work closely with multidisciplinary colleagues in obstetrics, maternal-fetal medicine, neonatology, and nursing to manage complex cases while developing increased autonomy and sound clinical judgment.

By the end of the fellowship year, you will be prepared to serve as a skilled physician consultant and leader in obstetric anesthesiology in both academic and private practice settings.

OB Anesthesiology fellows and residents at SOAP

Ramy Zakaria, M.D.

Fellow, Class of 2027

My experience as an OB Anesthesia Fellow at Parkland and UT Southwestern has been incredibly collaborative and supportive. The entire team works together with a shared focus on what is best for our patients, while creating an environment where fellows can both teach and learn every day. The faculty are welcoming and encouraging, always inviting us to participate in procedures, discuss challenging cases, and learn from their experience. I have also appreciated the leadership’s commitment to helping us grow, develop confidence, and quickly become an integral part of the team.

Positions

Two positions are available each year

Eligibility

Per SF Match, applicants to the ACGME-accredited OB anesthesia fellowship must be either (1) graduates from an ACGME-accredited residency program or (2) graduates from a Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada- (RCPSC) accredited or College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC)-accredited program located in Canada or (3) approved as an exceptionally qualified international graduate applicant who does not satisfy the eligibility requirements otherwise but has ECFMG certification, has been approved by the program director, fellowship selection committee, and hospital GME.

Application Requirements

Central Application Service (CAS) Applicant Instructions

Link to application portal

Required documents:

CAS Application:
1. Complete Personal Info form
2. Submit Required Supplemental form
CV
Personal Statement
Medical School Transcripts
USMLE transcripts or equivalent
ABA Basic Exam Scores (not applicable to IMGs)
ITE Scores (not applicable to IMGs)
Three (3) letters of reference.*
ECFMG Certificate (applicable only to IMGs)

* One letter should be from training program director.

Timeline

Academic Year 2027-2028

Applications open:

01/04/2027-03/31/2027

Interviews:

April - May

Rank List Due:

06/08/2027

SF Match Day:

06/15/2027

Clinical Rotations

Rotation	Length
Labor and Delivery	8 months
Maternal Fetal Medicine	2 weeks
NICU	2 weeks
Research	3 months*
POCUS	2 weeks
Regional	2 weeks

*Two dedicated months of research, with academic days once per week while on labor and delivery to equal three months total as mandated by ACGME.

Labor & Delivery — 8 Months

You will gain broad experience managing routine and complex peripartum cases, including high-risk obstetrics, fetal procedures, non-OR cases, and non-obstetric surgery. You will actively participate in leadership roles on L&D, supervise residents, collaborate with multidisciplinary teams, and serve as the anesthesiologist in charge on L&D. You will spend seven of these months at Parkland and one at Clements University Hospital.

Maternal-Fetal Medicine — 2 Weeks

You will work alongside MFM attendings, fellows, and OB/GYN residents while caring for patients with complex antepartum conditions, including substance use disorder, diabetes, placenta accreta spectrum, and preeclampsia. This experience strengthens the relationship and collaboration between the two services.

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit — 2 Weeks

You will participate in neonatal resuscitation and structured didactics with leaders in evidence-based newborn resuscitation. You will acquire Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) certification during your time in the NICU.

Research — 3 Months

You will participate in clinical research ranging from randomized clinical trials and observational cohort studies to case series and reports. A dedicated research team supports fellows with IRB applications and patient enrollment. The high volume and diversity of clinical cases provide opportunities to develop and complete meaningful clinical research projects.

POCUS — 2 Weeks

You will develop skills in transthoracic echocardiography (TTE), point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS), and ultrasound-guided lumbar and truncal blocks. Fellowship-trained and POCUS-certified faculty will guide you in performing and interpreting ultrasound examinations and applying ultrasound techniques to obstetric anesthesia.

Regional Anesthesia — 2 Weeks

You will spend 2-4 weeks on the regional anesthesia service, under the guidance of experienced regional anesthesia faculty. Training includes peripheral nerve blocks, epidurals, spinal anesthesia, and continuous catheter techniques.

ADDITIONAL EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES

Quality Improvement

You will participate in a longitudinal, project-based quality improvement course sponsored by UT Southwestern where you will learn principles and techniques to effectively lead improvement.

Simulation

You will attend and facilitate simulation sessions led by fellowship-trained obstetric anesthesiologists. Sessions address clinical decision-making, technical skills, teamwork, interpersonal communication, leadership, and feedback.

High-Risk Preoperative Clinic

You will lead the high-risk obstetric anesthesia preoperative clinic alongside MFM attendings and fellows. This includes seeing patients in clinic and developing and effectively communicating a personalized plan of care.

Conferences & Didactics

To begin building an educational portfolio and develop further expertise in topics of interest, you will give lectures to the residents rotating through OB Anesthesia each month that you are on L&D. You will receive lectures from faculty twice monthly on a focused topic. You will present at our Joint OB & Anesthesia Conference once during your fellowship year. We will join the SOAP Webinar series as a team on the second Wednesday of each month. Other regular meetings include Grand Rounds, Mortality & Morbidity, MFM Cardio-Obstetrics Multidisciplinary Conference, and Journal Club.

Hannah White Burcham, M.D.

Fellowship Program Director
Assistant Professor

Kelechi Brenda Anyaehie, M.D.

Associate Fellowship Program Director
Clinical Operations Chief, OB Anesthesia, Parkland Health
Assistant Professor

Allison Mootz, M.D.

Associate Fellowship Program Director
Residency Rotation Director, OB Anesthesia
Associate Clinical Operations Chief, OB Anesthesia, Clement's University Health
Assistant Professor

Trent Bryson, M.D.

Clinical Operations Chief, OB Anesthesia, Clement's University Health
Associate Professor

Hsi Chiao, M.D.

Associate Professor

Akil Farishta, M.D.

Assistant Professor

Irina Gasanova, M.D., Ph.D.

Medical Director, Perioperative Services, Parkland Health
Division Chief, Anesthesia Services, Parkland Health
Professor

Gerlad Matchett, M.D.

Associate Professor

Sunita Kucharlapati, M.D., MBBS

Assistant Professor

Susan Stanley, M.D.

Assistant Professor

Weike Tao, M.D.

Professor

Ludmila Zadworna, M.D.

Professor

Current Fellows

Diana Valencia Morales, M.D.

Ramy Zakaria, M.D.

2024-2025 Fellows

Shalonda Cook, M.D.
Medical School: Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Residency: Lewis Katz School for Medicine at Temple University
Current Position: Anesthesiologist, USAP, Dallas, TX

Shruthi Krishnamurthy, M.D.
Medical School: MVJ Medical College
Residency:HCA Healthcare Riverside Program
Current Position: Anesthesiologist, Hillsboro, TX
2022-2023 Fellows

Nguyen Nguyen, D.O.
Medical School: Lincoln Memorial University - DeBusk
Residency: HCA Healthcare Sunrise Program
Current Position: Assistant Professor, Yale University, New Haven, CT
2021-2022 Fellows

Hannah White Burcham, M.D.
Medical School: McGovern Medical School, University of Houston Health Science Center
Residency: University of Oklahoma Health Science Center
Current Position: Program Director, Obstetric Anesthesia Fellowship, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX
Assistant Professor, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX

Sanoor Surani, M.D.
Medical School: St. George's School of Medicine
Residency: Boston University Medical Center
Current Position: Anesthesiologist, Metro Anesthesia Group, Dallas, TX
2019-2020 Fellows

Miakka Jalloh, M.D.
Current Position: Chief of Obstetric Anesthesia, Medical City Frisco, Frisco, TX

Katherine Duncan, M.D.
Medical School: UT Southwestern Medical Center
Residency: UT Southwestern Medical Center
Current Position: Anesthesiologist, Fairfax Anesthesiologist Association, VA
2018-2019 Fellows

Kelechi Brenda Anyaehie, M.D.
Medical School: UT Health Science Center, San Antonio
Residency: UT Southwestern Medical Center
Current Position: Section Chief, Obstetric Anesthesiology, Parkland Health, Dallas, TX
Assistant Program Director, Obstetric Anesthesiology Fellowship, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX
Assistant Professor, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX

Tristyn St. Thomas-Achoja, M.D.
Current Position: Anesthesiologist, Kaiser Permanente, CA

The OB Anesthesia department has a long-standing tradition of clinical research, frequently collaborating with UT Southwestern’s distinguished Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. The high volume and diversity of clinical cases provide fellows and aspiring faculty with opportunities to develop and complete meaningful clinical research projects. The fellowship includes two dedicated months of research time with weekly academic days while on a Labor and Delivery rotation for three months of research total.

Recent Publications:

Furdyna MJ, Mootz AA, Venkatachalam S, et al. Frequency and Management of Maternal Peripartum Cardiac Arrest during Anesthetic Care: A Multicenter Retrospective Cohort Analysis. Anesthesiology. 2026;144(4):796-810. Doi:10.1097/ALN.0000000000005905.
Nadir ZS, Hofkamp MP, Wolpaw JT, Mootz AA. Identification of opportunities for strategic expansion of anesthesiology training programs. Proc (Bayl Univ Med Cent). 2026;39(2):359-364. Published 2026 Jan 20. Doi:10.1080/08998280.2025.2611216.
Blanton A, Tombul Z, Beck R, Tao W, Mootz AA. Treatment of breakthrough labor pain with epidural dexmedetomidine: a case series. Proc (Bayl Univ Med Cent). 2025;39(2):340-342. Published 2025 Nov 7. Doi:10.1080/08998280.2025.2580830.
Mootz AA, Anyaehie B. Beyond the scale: American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status may matter more than body mass index in predicting laparoscopic hysterectomy operative time. Proc (Bayl Univ Med Cent). 2026;39(2):288. Published 2026 Jan 23. Doi:10.1080/08998280.2026.2613618.
White A, Burns RN, Pruszynski JE, Ravindra D, Fin K, Montgomery T, Jestes E, Ambia A, Anyaehie B, Duryea E. Establishing normal blood loss thresholds at the time of delivery based on quantitative blood loss. Am J Obstet Gynecol. Published online July 30, 2026. Doi:10.1016/j.ajog.2026.07.028.
White A, Burns RN, Pruszynski JE, Ravindra D, Fin K, Montgomery T, Jestes E, Ambia A, Anyaehie B, Duryea E. Influence of anemia on rates of transfusion based on different thresholds of blood loss after vaginal delivery. Am J Obstet Gynecol. Published online July 18, 2026. Doi:10.1016/j.ajog.2026.07.021.
White A, Burns RN, Pruszynski JE, Ravindra D, Montgomery T, Fin K, Anyaehie B, Duryea E. Performance of quantitative and graduated estimated blood loss in detection of postpartum hemorrhage after spontaneous vaginal delivery. Pregnancy (Hoboken). 2026;2(5):e70385. Published Aug 28, 2026. Doi:10.1002/pmf2.70385.
Garcia J, Anyaehie KB. Anesthetic management of a high-risk cesarean delivery in a patient with multivessel Takayasu arteritis. Proc (Bayl Univ Med Cent). Published online July 6, 2026. Doi:10.1080/08998280.2026.2690811.
Mootz AA, Ovsak GG, Vu TTH, et al. Development of an obstetric anesthesia needs assessment framework to inform quality improvement: a pilot evaluation in a high-volume maternity hospital in Vietnam. Int J Obstet Anesth. Published online August 31, 2026. Doi:10.1016/j.ijoa.2026.105271.

Ongoing Projects:

Safety of ropivacaine + dexmedetomidine for labor analgesia
Incidence of maternal hypotension after labor epidural initiation
Adjunct medication use for intrapartum cesarean delivery in patients with chorioamnionitis
Epidural blood patch utilization rates across different ethnicities
Comparing epidural blood patch readiness before and after patient education initiatives

Third place in Gertie Marx Research Competition at SOAP 2026:

Moore RP, Domenico H, Bryson T, Salari V, Gabel E, Oster S, Byrne DW, Ende H. Multi-site geographic validation of an electronic health record-enabled artificial intelligence prediction model for postpartum hemorrhage. Full publication pending.