Leading Physician Edward Yap’s Advice for Every Young Anesthesiologist

At Offcall, we’re on a mission to improve the wealth and wellbeing of physicians. We’re proud to be backed by leading physician innovators from across the country. In our Investor Spotlight series, you’ll meet some of the physicians behind Offcall, learn why they’re passionate about our mission, and hear more about the work they’re doing to push their field forward. This week, Bay Area-based physician Edward Yap shares his work on the frontlines of anesthesiology and offers key advice to young anesthesiologists coming up in the field today.

You can find Ed on LinkedIn here, and you can also learn about the other physicians behind Offcall on our About page.

1. Tell us about your current role. What does a typical work day look like for you?

Ed Yap: I’m currently an anesthesiologist with The Permanente Medical Group. We’re a large, integrated multi-specialty group that's exclusively contracted with Kaiser. I mainly practice in the Bay Area, and float between two Kaiser Permanente Hospitals in South San Francisco and San Francisco.

My practice varies from day to day depending on my role. Our anesthesia department works as a team to get patients through the day. Most days I’m providing one-on-one care for patients undergoing surgery, for a multitude of surgeries; other days I am doing regional anesthesia procedures to help with pain during surgery; and other days I’m on call and running the operating room.

2. What's one big idea in anesthesiology you’re excited about right now?

The advancement of pain management is seeing two particularly exciting developments:

1. Progress in regional anesthesia techniques. It’s great to see the development of novel techniques to address acute pain issues for patients.

2. The FDA approval of a new drug class, called NaV1.8 inhibitors. They target specific sodium channels involved in pain signaling, offering effective pain relief while avoiding the significant side effects and risks associated with opioids. The introduction of this new drug class marks a breakthrough in pain management. 

The ability to effectively manage pain while reducing reliance on opioids represents a major step forward in anesthesiology.

3. What's your advice to younger anesthesiologists who are just coming up in the field? What advice do you wish you had while you were doing your training?

Know your worth. As an anesthesiologist, you have deep expertise spanning anesthesia, perioperative medicine, critical care, and pain management — your impact extends throughout the entire hospital system, not just the operating room. Your unique combination of skills makes you an invaluable leader in patient care and hospital operations.

4. Who's one physician in your field whose work you truly admire?

I’m going to name a few greats: Ron Miller, Ted Eger, and Jon Severinghaus. I was lucky to have known them and learned from them.

5. Who are your must-follows on social media, or must-read authors to stay informed in your field?

A physician I currently follow to stay informed in my field is Dr. Ed Mariano. He’s a prominent leader in regional anesthesia and acute pain management, recognized for his work advancing ultrasound-guided techniques and championing quality improvement and value-based perioperative care.

6. What's most exciting to you about Offcall?

As an anesthesiologist, what’s especially exciting is how Offcall empowers physicians — especially in fields like anesthesia, where compensation, call burden, and lifestyle can vary wildly. It brings transparency to pay, schedules and workplace cultures, giving you real data to benchmark your current situation or negotiate better terms. That kind of insight is huge in anesthesia, where call demands, stipends, and OR efficiency can make or break your quality of life.

Beyond that, Offcall has the potential to reshape how we approach physician well-being, encouraging more equitable compensation and promoting healthier work environments across the field, ultimately improving both job satisfaction and patient care.

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