Garrison Kohler, MD

I come from a Boston-rooted family but grew up in Atlanta. I played baseball through part of college in the south before heading to the Caribbean for medical school.

During clinical rotations, I had the opportunity to train in some of the coolest cities in the country, spending most of my time in New York City and Miami. Along the way, I picked up a deep appreciation for different health care systems, patient populations and cities — eventually finding my way to Buffalo, where everything came together.

I first learned about UB’s anesthesiology residency program through my USMLE Step tutor. I had already been interested in anesthesiology, so it felt like a funny coincidence that my tutor was actually an anesthesiology resident — and at UB.

The quality of training was most definitely a priority of mine, which I was assured of. My peer shared how there was not a shred of doubt regarding his preparedness to become an attending.

As a first-year resident completing my preliminary year in internal medicine, my exposure to the anesthesiology program has understandably been limited so far. However, I’ve gotten to know my co-residents pretty well, and there’s a genuine culture of teamwork — if I ever have a question or feel unsure about something, I know I can always reach out in our group chat and get thoughtful, reliable guidance.

Even early on, it’s clear that the anesthesiology program and its faculty are deeply invested in our success. There’s a shared sense that we’re not navigating residency alone and that support will be there at every stage of training. Knowing that makes me even more excited to fully transition into anesthesiology and grow within the program.