Schedule & Requirements
First year (PGY 1)
On the obstetrical service, residents develop skills in the management of obstetrical patients on labor and delivery. During this time, they receive instruction in electronic fetal monitoring. As they progress through their rotation, residents become more involved in performing operative obstetrical procedures. Residents are also taught the use of obstetrical ultrasound. Residents cover the postpartum service where they develop skills in postpartum care.
On the gynecology service, the resident learns the pre-operative and post-operative care of gynecologic inpatients. Residents develop skills in the diagnosis and management of a broad range of gynecologic conditions and in operative gynecology by assisting in the operating room on major surgical procedures and by performing minor operative procedures.
Each resident spends four weeks in a specialized rotation. They learn obstetrical and gynecologic ultrasound in the department's specialized Antepartum Testing Unit under the direct supervision of the full-time maternal-fetal medicine faculty and ultrasound specialist. The residents are instructed in performing ultrasound scans, perform scans themselves and then review their findings with the faculty. They have an opportunity to develop both basic and advanced skills, including transvaginal sonography and amniocentesis. Time is also spent with the neonatologists on the labor and delivery unit, allowing the resident to learn the principles of, and to gain experience in, neonatal resuscitation.
Finally, three months are spent on the night float rotation, where the resident works closely, one on one, with the senior resident and a full-time faculty member and manages all obstetrical patients presenting to Labor and Delivery. It is on this rotation that residents have the greatest opportunity to develop confidence in their skills as obstetricians.
Throughout the year, except while on night float, all residents rotate to the outpatient clinic one day a week. This helps fulfill their continuity clinic requirements as well as their ambulatory primary care requirements.
Second Year (PGY 2)
On the obstetrical service, residents assume progressive responsibility acquiring skills for operative vaginal deliveries and performing the more difficult cesarean sections. The residents are responsible for the post-operative care of all the patients under the direction of our full-time faculty. They also assist in the management of the high-risk obstetrical service.
On the gynecology service, progressive responsibilities are assumed in the operating room. Residents become involved in more difficult cases, including operative laparoscopies and non-complicated hysterectomies, abdominal myomectomies and manage their patients' post-operative care. It is during the second year that they are also introduced to robotic surgery.
Our residents experience a combined specialty rotation, with training in both outpatient management and operative experience in reproductive endocrinology, and outpatient management of High Risk Obstetrics, urogynecology, and colposcopy. (This rotation is repeated in the third year of training.) Residents care for all patients on the reproductive endocrinology/infertility service and participate in all operative procedures. On this service, they develop and improve their skills in endoscopy and laparoscopy. In addition, they will be participating in outpatient reproductive endocrinology/infertility once a week over a four week period (to be repeated during their third year).Twice a week, residents attend the High Risk Obstetrics clinic, where they learn to manage pregnancies complicated by both obstetric and medical disorders.
Two months are spent on the gynecologic oncology service under the supervision of the Chief Resident and our board certified gynecologic oncologists. Residents participate in the pre-operative, surgical and post-operative care of all gynecologic oncology patients within the division. They learn the basics of radiation oncology and chemotherapy and assist with difficult and advanced laparotomies. Residents also attend the colposcopy and gynecologic oncology clinics weekly, where they learn about the management of women with cancer and abnormal Pap smears and develop the pattern recognition skills required for this specialty.
Finally, three months are spent on the night float rotation, where the resident acts as a gynecologic consultant to the Emergency Department under the direct supervision of the on-call attending physician. The resident performs all emergency gynecologic surgical procedures that present at night, including operative laparoscopies.
Residents also continue their Ob/Gyn continuity clinic experience. As their experience and knowledge grows, the cases the resident sees increase in both number and complexity. When the resident's patients require hospitalization, the resident participates in the inpatient care, providing the necessary continuity.
Third Year (PGY 3)
During this year the resident is provided with the opportunity to care for a larger caseload, as well as increased responsibility as part of the team caring for patients with more complex problems. Third year residents have even more responsibility in case preparation and presentation, and a more significant involvement in educational programs for their fellow residents, students, patients, and the community. They also assume increased responsibility for the psychosocial aspects of patient care.
On the obstetrical service, the third year resident is directly involved in the clinical management of all the patients on the labor floor under the supervision of the chief resident and the attending physician. In certain months, the third year resident replaces the fourth year resident and acts as the chief of the service. During this rotation, the third year resident also becomes an integral member of the high-risk obstetrics team. The resident admits and cares for patients with medical and obstetrical complications of pregnancy and is supervised by the department's board-certified MFM specialists.
Two months are spent on the Maternal Fetal Medicine service under the direct supervision of our Maternal Fetal Medicine specialists. During this rotation the resident admits and cares for patients with medical and obstetrical complications of pregnancy along with the Chief Resident and MFM specialists. In addition, further time is spent at the Advanced Women's Imaging and Prenatal Testing Center at which further experience is gained in antepartum surveillance, genetic counseling as well as ultrasound and amniocentesis.
One month is spent on the gynecologic oncology service under the supervision of the Chief Resident and our board certified gynecologic oncologists. Residents participate in the pre-operative, surgical and post-operative care of all gynecologic oncology patients within the division. They learn the basics of radiation oncology and chemotherapy and assist difficult and advanced laparotomies. Residents also attend the colposcopy and gynecologic oncology clinics weekly, where they learn about the management of women with cancer and abnormal Pap smears and develop the pattern recognition skills required for this specialty.
On the gynecology service, third year residents perform major gynecologic surgery, including difficult hysterectomies and major operative laparoscopies and robotic procedures. Along with the junior residents on that team, they are also responsible for pre-operative and post-operative management of all patients on this service. Similarly to the obstetric service, in certain months, the third year resident replaces the fourth year resident and acts as the chief of the service. Once a week, residents attend the urogynecology clinic, where they learn about urodynamic testing, cystoscopy/urethroscopy and ambulatory management of urogynecologic problems.
Third year residents repeat their experience on the combined specialty rotation in reproductive endocrinology, outpatient high-risk obstetrics, urogynecology, and colposcopy. By repeating this rotation at a time when they have greater experience and maturity in the specialty, they are able to not only reinforce the lessons and skills that they learned the year before but to build on them.
Finally, three months are spent on the night float rotation, where the resident has the opportunity to individually manage the labor floor as the most senior resident under the supervision of the in-house faculty-attending physician. It is in this rotation, specifically, that residents solidify their skills as obstetricians and develop their confidence as team leaders.
Regular clinic panels established during the first two years of training continue to be held in the third year. Indeed, third year residents play an increasing role as primary care physicians for their patients. The residents have the opportunity to practice their primary care skills in an Ob/Gyn setting that will be reflected in their practice in future years.
Fourth Year (Chief Resident PGY 4)
Three months are spent on the gynecologic oncology service under the supervision of our board certified gynecologic oncologists. Residents participate in the pre-operative, surgical and post-operative care of all gynecologic oncology patients within the division. They learn the basics of radiation oncology and chemotherapy and perform difficult and advanced laparotomies, perfecting their surgical skills prior to their graduation. Residents also attend the colposcopy weekly, where they learn about the management of women with abnormal Pap smears and develop the pattern recognition skills required for this specialty.
Three months are spent as chief resident in gynecology. Residents on this rotation perform advanced surgical procedures including vaginal and urogynecologic procedures, difficult and advanced abdominal procedures and operative laparoscopies and advanced robotic procedures. They are responsible for the management of their services, including the supervision and teaching of junior residents and medical students and the presentation of cases in all formal rounds with the gynecological attending staff.
Three months are spent as obstetrical chief resident, when the resident is responsible for all routine and high-risk patients on the obstetrical service. The resident is also responsible for training junior residents and medical students in obstetrics. Chief residents are considered junior faculty members and assume responsibilities appropriate for that rank.
Fourth year residents have an opportunity for an elective month which is based on the resident’s interest and must be reviewed and approved by the Program Director.
Finally, two months are spent on the night float rotation, where the resident continues the responsibility of chief resident to supervise the management of all patients on Labor and Delivery and on the gynecological service. The chief residents assist and teach the junior residents in the management of both obstetrical patients on Labor and Delivery and gynecological patients in the Emergency Department and on the gynecology service.