Curriculum and rotations
A well-balanced approach to quality education
The first two years of residency concentrate on obstetrics and gynecology with rotations in obstetrics, gynecology and night float.
PGY-1 residents also have a rotation in critical care, special gynecology (where they are introduced to pediatric and adolescent gynecology, breast surgery and urogynecology), REI and an introduction to ultrasound.
PGY-2 residents, in addition to obstetrics, night float and gynecology, have rotations with time spent in gynecologic oncology, family planning and urogynecology.
For PGY-3 residents, emphasis is placed on the four subspecialties, with rotations in maternal-fetal medicine, gynecologic oncology, REI and urogynecology. There is also one month of research and elective.
The PGY-4 program is divided between gynecology, obstetrics, ambulatory medicine and elective time. Chief residents take on a supervisory and leadership role and assume full responsibility for the obstetrics service, gynecology service and Ambulatory Women's Health Clinic.
Exceptional surgical training
Our residents have exceeded ACGME minimums in most surgical categories before starting their last year of residency.
PGY-1 residents gain significant surgical experience in minor gynecologic cases and cesarean sections. PGY-2 residents increase their proficiency with laparoscopy, begin doing hysterectomies and complete their robotic simulation training.
PGY-3 residents perform open, vaginal and robotic hysterectomies, as well as more specialized urogynecology and oncology cases.
All our graduating residents exceed the new standards for laparoscopic and vaginal hysterectomies, while still surpassing the previous, higher standard for open hysterectomies.
Our surgical volume continues to exceed our capacity to cover every surgical case with a resident, so residents have some flexibility in tailoring their surgical experience to their own future plans.
For surgical patients from the resident outpatient site, residents do the workup leading to the decision for surgery, and with the attending physician, decide on the surgical approach. During these cases, the chief resident truly acts as a teaching assistant, taking a junior resident through the surgery in most cases.
A strong academic foundation enhances the resident clinical experience
Residency is a time during which patient care and education are occurring simultaneously.
Residents have education sessions every morning as part of morning report and a half day of protected teaching time every Friday. Two senior residents work with leadership to design and organize the teaching schedule based upon the CREOG 13th edition curriculum.
We incorporate problem- and case-based learning, skill sessions, multidisciplinary simulations, OSCE, journal club and patient communication education sessions in our teaching methods. We have a robust boot camp curriculum for incoming residents to prepare them for functioning and learning efficiently in the clinical environment.
Every resident has a faculty mentor chosen based upon their interests and future career goals. Residents who identify an interest in fellowship training work with their mentor on research projects and other scholarship to build their CV for a fellowship application.
A clinical research rotation and curriculum is in place, and a PhD-level clinical research specialist is available to assist with teaching and performance of research and quality improvement projects.
The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology also conducts an active research program, with residents encouraged to become involved in ongoing research and required to participate in at least one research project during their four years of training.