Professor of Anesthesiology
Vice Chair of Education
Director of Anesthesiology Simulation Program
Section Chief – Liver Transplant/Vascular Anesthesia
Dr. Isaak, DO, FASA, is a Professor of Anesthesiology in the Division of Liver Transplant. Clinically, his interests include care for patients undergoing liver transplant surgery, major vascular surgery, major oncological surgeries, and regional anesthesia in the ambulatory surgical setting. His research focuses on topics related to graduate medical education, both for formative and summative assessment. Specifically, he has done extensive work in developing and validating Objective Structured Clinical Exams (OSCE) for both the Department of Anesthesiology at UNC and at the American Board of Anesthesiology. Additionally, he has spent a large amount of his non-clinical time researching and publishing work on the care of patients undergoing vascular surgery, patients who are cared for as part of an ERAS pathway, and various quality improvement projects.
Education
Residency: Vanderbilt University Medical Center (Nashville, TN)
Medical School: Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine (Fort Lauderdale, FL)
Undergrad: Vanderbilt University (Nashville, TN)
Past Grants
UNC Hospitals Institute for Healthcare Quality Improvement (IHQI) Seed Grant
University of North Carolina at Chapel Provost’s Hill IBM Junior Faculty Development Grant
American Medical Association (AMA) Joy in Medicine Practice Transformation Initiative
Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Group on Educational Affairs (GEA) Medical Education Scholarship Research and Evaluation National Grant
Honors
Distinguished Educator in Anesthesiology Award – American Society of Anesthesiology & Society for Education in Anesthesiology
University of North Carolina School of Medicine Academy of Educators- Innovation in Education Award
UNC Department of Anesthesiology Honor Roll of Top Clinician-Researcher (multiple years)
UNC Department of Anesthesiology Innovation in Simulation Education Faculty Teaching Award
UNC Department of Anesthesiology Resident Education Faculty Honor Roll (multiple years)
UNC Department of Anesthesiology Teaching Excellence Faculty Teaching Award
First Place Research Abstract – Society for Education in Anesthesiology Annual Meeting
First Place Research Abstract – 17th Annual International Meeting for Simulation in Healthcare
Leadership Positions
Institutional: Vice Chair of Education
Section Chief of Liver Transplant and Vascular Anesthesia
Course Director: Carolina Refresher Course
Chair of the Academic Performance Assessment Committee
Director of Anesthesiology Simulation Program
Director of Department of Anesthesiology Grand Rounds and Visiting Professor Program
National: Board Member – American Board of Anesthesiology Board of Directors
Expertise
Anesthesia for Liver Transplantation, Vascular Surgery & Hepatobiliary Surgery
Simulation Education, including OSCE for formative and summative assessments
