Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine >> Education >> Fellowship in Obstetric Anesthesiology

Fellowship Training Program:
Fellowship in Obstetric Anesthesiology

The Division of Obstetric Anesthesia at the University of Washington is provides both one and two year fellowship opportunities in Obstetric Anesthesia. This will be dedicated to providing state-of the-art clinical training and expertise in labor analgesia, anesthesia for deliveries and management of high risk patients, as well as extensive research opportunities for those interested.

Scope of Clinical Practice

The Obstetric unit at UWMC is a tertiary referral center for five states (Washington, Alaska, Idaho, Wyoming and Montana). This results in an extremely diverse, high-risk patient population. We have an average of 2400 deliveries a year, with a 41% cesarean section rate and an 85%; epidural/CSE rate

Conditions that we deal with include:

  • Severe preeclampsia & HELLP syndrome
  • Placenta previa, accreta and percreta
  • Major cardiac disease
  • Adult congenital disease
  • Valvular disease
  • Pulmonary hypertension (& Eisenmengers)
  • Respiratory disease
  • Endocrine disorders
  • Transplant patients
  • Extremes of height and weight
  • Cancer patients
  • HIV
  • Polysubstance abuse

Some of these patients need invasive monitoring including arterial, central venous and pulmonary artery catheters, which are usually placed by the anesthesia team.

Research

The fellows will be highly encouraged to initiate and/or participate in clinical research and/or more basic science research. For those involved in the research program, a 2 year fellowship is also available (and highly encouraged). Other possible options are to combine an OB Anesthesia and Pain fellowship.

Research projects initiated by the OB anesthesia team currently evolve around the following topics:

  • Studies on labor pain such as the prediction of acute and chronic pain after delivery as well as post-cesarean delivery pain (i.e. implementation and validation of Quantitative Sensory Tests in the obstetric population)
  • Ultrasound-guided imaging for neuraxial analgesia/anesthesia and studies on peripheral blocks (TAP bloks) for post-operative analgesia
  • Pharmacogenetic studies of drugs used for analgesia (e.g. opioids) or any pregnancy-related disorder (e.g. tocolytics, anti-hypertensive drugs)
  • Studies on vascular reactivity during pre-eclampsia (in collaboration with the Department of Obstetrics)
  • Studies on preterm labor and delivery (in collaboration with the Department of Obstetrics)

Teaching & Education

The fellow is expected to give some of the didactics for the residents on the obstetric rotation, which take place three times a week. Occasional didactics to the obstetric medical students may also be required.

Involvement with obstetric team training and resident training in the simulator will be part of the fellow's responsibilities.

Education will occur during clinical practice supervised by Obstetric Anesthesiology Attendings, didactics, reading of recommended textbooks and publications and attendance at local and national meetings and seminars?Presence is required at weekly Wednesday morning Department of Anesthesiology Grand Rounds.

All fellows will be encouraged to participate at the annual meeting of the Society for Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology (SOAP) and at the ASA. Non-clinical time and financial support will be provided for at least one conference.

Clinical Responsibility

The split between clinical and non-clinical time is 40% clinical 60% non-clinical.

Candidates with a strong interest in research and those who wish to commit to a 2 year fellowship may negotiate for more non-clinical time. 25% of the clinical responsibility will include functioning in the capacity of an Attending anesthesiologist on-call. This will involve taking late shifts on the obstetric unit and overnight call, covering the main operating room and obstetrics together. Advice and support will be readily available from senior faculty.

Specifics of Clinical Commitment: 40%

Calls: 3 week-nights/month + 1 call over the WE (Saturday-Sunday or holiday)

Clinical commitment of the OBA fellow:

  • functions as an attending on L&D supervising OBA residents on his OB clinical day (Mon-Friday)
  • helps managing scheduled high risk OBA cases (on L&D and main OR)
  • functions as an attending in the OR supervising residents (main OR, Pavilion or Harborview) on non-OB clinical day
  • functions as an attending performing and/or supervising high risk OB anesthesia consults in the high risk clinic (MICC) on his non-clinical day
  • functions as an attending on L&D supervising OBA residents during calls

Fellowship Educational and Research Activities: 60%

Participates in:

  • Resident education:
    • Morning didactics for the OBA residents
    • Updates of the OBA website (incl each paper discussed at JC and residents presentations)
    • Updates of the syllabus
    • Updates of the OB guidelines
    • Resident's orientation
    • Facilitates webcam/didactics with residents in outside rotations (Evergreen, Spokane, Brazil)
  • High risk OBA clinic
    • Establishing a database for the high risk OBA cases (pre-op, per-op, post-op)
    • Follow-up in the ICU of high risk cases
    • M&M with OB (1x/month)
    • Case-reports/publications
  • Establishing clinical guidelines/protocols
    • Post-partum hemorrhage/bleeding emergencies
    • Cardiac cases
    • Preeclamptics
    • Blood patches
    • Post-CS analgesia (TAP blocks, ...)
  • Facilitates and is involved in Clinical research protocols (optional)
    • Ongoing projects (PPOP, TAP-blocks)
    • Projects to be started (i-Fent, top-ups, pressure transducer)
    • New projects
  • Optional:
    • 1 month in Brazil for clinical research protocols
    • Attendance at SOAP meeting (May)

Is mentored and supervised by Chief of OB division (Ruth Landau)

Faculty

  • Landau, Ruth, MD Professor & Director (OB Anesth. & Cl. Genetics), UWMC
    Regular Faculty
    photo of faculty member

    Ruth Landau, MD

    Professor & Director of Obstetric Anesthesiology & Clinical Genetics, Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine

    rulandau@uw.edu

    Primary Location: UW Medical Center

    Research Interests: Long term effects of post-partum pain on the mother, the effect of pregnancy on pain modulation (pregnancy-induced endogenous analgesia), the influence of genetics on pain perception and labor or post-CS analgesia requirements, and ways to predict who will suffer acute severe pain and potentially chronic pain.

    Personal Interests: Aesthetics, design, contemporary architecture, travel, fitness.

    UW Medicine Bio

  • Bollag, Laurent, MD Assistant Professor, UWMC
    Regular Faculty
    photo of faculty member

    Laurent Bollag, MD

    Assistant Professor, Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine

    bollag@uw.edu

    Primary Location: UW Medical Center

    Professional Interests: Ultrasound guided regional anesthesia, obstetric anesthesia, pharmacology, acute post-operative pain, as well as novel clinical strategies to predict, diagnose and prevent chronic pain in a targeted manner.

    UW Medicine Bio

  • Ciliberto, Christopher, MD Assistant Professor, UWMC
    Regular Faculty
    photo of faculty member

    Christopher Ciliberto, MD

    Assistant Professor,
    Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine

    cgcili@uw.edu

    Primary Location: UW Medical Center

  • Davies, Jo, MB BS, FRCA Assoc. Professor & Director (Patient Safety Initiatives), UWMC
    Regular Faculty
    photo of faculty member

    Jo Davies, MB BS, FRCA

    Associate Professor
    & Director for Patient Safety Initiatives,
    Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine

    jodavies@uw.edu

    Primary Location: UW Medical Center

    Teaching Interests: Airway management training for anesthesiologists and other specialists. Obstetric anesthesia teaching in developing countries.

    Clinical Interests: Obstetric and regional anesthesia with an interest in the management of difficult airways.

    Personal Interests: Hiking, cycling, skiing, traveling, music and photography.

    UW Medicine Bio

  • Kent, Christopher D., MD Assistant Professor, UWMC
    Regular Faculty
    photo of faculty member

    Christopher D. Kent, MD

    Assistant Professor, Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine

    kentc02@uw.edu

    Primary Location: UW Medical Center

    Professional Interests: Ultrasound Guided Regional Anesthesia, Economics of anesthesia practice.

    UW Medicine Bio

  • Lee, Christopher R., MD Acting Assistant Professor, UWMC
    Regular Faculty
    photo of faculty member

    Christopher R. Lee, MD

    Acting Assistant Professor, Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine

    cleemed@uw.edu

    Primary Location: UW Medical Center

    Biographical Statement: I chose to join UW Anesthesiology in order to help guide resident anesthesiologists while caring for patients in challenging situations. I enjoy the challenge of Quality Improvement - helping to keep anesthesia as safe as possible.

    Clinical Interests: Acute pain management, obstetric anesthesia.

    Research Interests: Quality improvement, simulation in education.

    UW Medicine Bio

  • Ross, Brian K., PhD, MD Professor, UWMC
    Regular Faculty
    photo of faculty member

    Brian K. Ross, PhD, MD

    Professor, Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine

    bkross@uw.edu

    Primary Location: UW Medical Center

    Clinical Interests: Simulators in medical education, regional anesthesia, obstetrical anesthesia and the progress of labor.

    Personal Interests: Music, amateur radio.

    UW Medicine Bio

  • Sedensky, Margaret M., MD Professor, UWMC
    Regular Faculty
    photo of faculty member

    Margaret M. Sedensky, MD

    Professor, Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine

    sedenm@u.washington.edu

    Primary Location: UW Medical Center

    Research Interests: My research centers on the mechanism of action of volatile anesthetics. This investigation has led to an interest in mitochondrial biology, with spin offs in the fields of aging and development.

    Seattle Children's Bio

  • Terman, Gregory W., MD, PhD Professor, UWMC
    Regular Faculty
    photo of faculty member

    Gregory W. Terman, MD, PhD

    Professor, Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine;
    Professor, Graduate Program in Neurobiology & Behavior

    gwt@u.washington.edu

    Primary Location: UW Medical Center

    Research Interests: For the last 30 years I have been interested in the synaptic plasticity of the central nervous system as a result of repeated or prolonged nociception and/or repeated or prolonged pain relieving drugs. In the last few years, my research has focused on the mechanisms and neurochemistry of of opiate tolerance, potential therapeutics to help opiate tolerant patients, and studies to minimize the life-threatening risk of opiates in analgesic tolerant patients.

    UW Medicine Bio | Community of Science Bio | NIH Bio(pdf)

Application Process

The application process for all the faculty fellowships requires that interested applicants send the following information:

  • Current Curriculum Vitae
  • Application for Faculty Fellowship
  • Letter of intent/personal statement
  • Three current reference letters, including one from the residency program director or current director. The third letter MUST be from a departmental faculty member.
  • Copy of medical school diploma
  • Copy of anesthesia degree (if applicable)
  • Current medical license
  • USMLE all three steps
  • ECFMG documentation (if applicable)
  • Documentation supporting citizenship status (if applicable)

Inquiries and applications should be directed to:

Baya D. Walls
Faculty Fellowship Program Assistant
Department of Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine
University of Washington, Box 356540
1959 NE Pacific Street
Seattle, WA 98195-6540

phone: 206-221-3017 / fax: 206-543-2958
e-mail: anesfell@u.washington.edu


Fellowship Director

photo of fellowship director

Dr. Ruth Landau, MD
Professor & Director of Obstetric Anesthesiology & Clinical Genetics, Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine

UW Medical Center, Box 356540
1959 NE Pacific Street, Seattle, WA 98195-6540
Phone: 206-543-2187
Fax: 206-543-2958
Email: rulandau@uw.edu

UW Medicine Bio