UW Obstetrics & Gynecology: Professional Education & Training

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Ob/Gyn Dept Home

Professional Education & Training

2008–2009 Residency Program

Seine Chiang, MD, Associate Professor, Residency Program Director

The Residency Training Program in Obstetrics and Gynecology is a fully approved, integrated, four-year program fulfilling the requirements for board certification in this specialty. It is structured so that residents assume increasing responsibility as they progress through the program with specified objectives to be achieved on each rotation. Inpatient and outpatient facilities at the University of Washington Medical Center, Women's Health Care Center (Roosevelt), Harborview Medical Center, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Swedish Hospital Medical Center, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, Group Health Central, and Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital are utilized for residency training.

In addition to a broad clinical experience in obstetrics and gynecology, residents receive training in perinatology, oncology, ultrasonography, sexually transmitted diseases, reproductive endocrinology, infertility, gynecologic pathology, breast disease, family planning, urodynamics, and pediatric gynecology.
An elective rotation is available in the third year which allows residents to obtain additional training in areas of special interest, including research and global health.

The training program promotes continuity of patient care, and residents are responsible for the care of selected patients over an extended period of time. Residents receive in-depth training in primary care at the Women’s Health Care Center (Roosevelt) and Harborview Medical Center.

All residents are required to conduct a research project. This will be presented during the fourth year at the Resident’s Husky Day Research Conference in April.

Further information:

Fellowships

The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology offers four three-year Fellowships in Maternal-Fetal Medicine as well as four four-year Gynecologic Oncology Fellowships.

Further details:

Medical Student Education

Obstetrics and Gynecology Clerkship

This course is an introductory hands-on experience in the provision of comprehensive medical care, including obstetrical care, gynecologic surgery, and counseling services to adult and adolescent female patients. The obstetrical conditions and gynecological problems commonly encountered by the physician provide the primary focus for this clerkship experience, but knowledge of serious, less common conditions, is also required.

Faculty regularly visit various clerkship sites in order to:

Provide more interaction with medical students
Offer CME for clinical faculty
Consult on patients

Please visit our Clerkship website for complete information!

Continuing Medical Education

The University of Washington School of Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians through Ob/Gyn Grand Rounds participation (one Category 1 credit-hr/one-hr lecture).

Each physician should claim only those hours of credit that he/she actually spent in the educational activity. Upon completion of Ob/Gyn Grand Rounds participation, participants should be able to:

Recognize new diagnostic and treatment modalities.
Gain familiarity and knowledge from the information offered on women's health care.
Describe methods of primary care for selected disease.

UW Office of Continuing Medical Education
Request more information

Faculty Development

The Education Division provides new faculty with information on educational scholarship involvement and documentation of teaching activities.

Faculty Development Workshops are held each autumn and spring for faculty and clinical faculty representatives from all sites working with students and residents. These workshops are co-sponsored by the UW Dean of Medicine.

The focus is on:

Feedback in teaching
Developing teaching skills
Suggestions for clerkship improvement
Updates in medical education
Meeting and sharing information
Computer updates
Introducing new faculty who present their research interests or new developments in clinical medicine

Career Development Awards

The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology is pleased to offer three different research training and career development awards.

Current programs:

Conferences and Teaching Rounds

• Grand Rounds (online calendar)
—	Weekly from mid-September through June, except holiday periods
—	Guest speakers covering new developments in Ob/Gyn and related disciplines
—	Sponsored by the University of Washington School of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
—	CME Accreditation (1 category 1 CME credit-hour/1-hour lecture).
• Medical Student Lectures
—	Weekly
—	Mandatory for all medical students
—	Sample schedule (UW Spring B rotation) available in PDF format. (Note: other sites cover similar topics in their weekly didactics)
• Teaching Rounds
—	Conducted daily with attending physicians on respective services
• Morbidity and Mortality Conference
—	Weekly
—	Mandatory resident education activity
• Quality Improvement Conference
—	For each of three disciplines: Obstetrics, Gynecologic Oncology and Gynecology (UWMC and HMC)
—	Combined with Morbidity and Mortality Conference
• Diabetes Conference
—	Weekly teaching session and case review before Diabetes Clinic
• Gyn Presurgery Conference
—	Weekly (mandatory for UW Gyn & Urogyn Residents)
• Ob/Peds Conference
—	Weekly
• Oncology Combined Conference and Multidisciplinary Teaching Conference
—	Weekly (mandatory for UW Gyn Onc Residents and Fellows)
• Path Conference
—	Weekly (mandatory for UW Onc & Gyn Residents)
• Perinatal Path Conference
—	Monthly unless otherwise noted
• Prenatal Genetics and Fetal Therapy
—	Weekly
• Resident Didactic lectures
—	Weekly
—	Mandatory resident education activity
• Journal Club
—	Monthly meetings October through May except for a two-month hiatus over the holidays
—	Focuses on current publications in obstetrics and gynecology
• HMC Morning Ob/Gyn Lecture Series (online calendar)
—	Three times weekly, unless otherwise noted

Center for Videoendoscopic Surgery Training Lab

Our Ob/Gyn training program has a nationally recognized surgical skills curriculum and simulation lab, providing an alternative to training on patients. This comprehensive surgical skills curriculum uses a combination of one-on-one surgical training with practice and testing on anesthetized pigs. As a national model, it provides a highly collaborative education and training environment in the area of minimally invasive surgery, as well as training residents, fellows, and practicing surgeons from around the world. This curriculum is moving into the next phase of development to provide exposure to uncommon clinical scenarios, such as the management of hemorrhage, shoulder dystocia, and uterine inversion in obstetrics, and to assess competency in these and other areas.

Institute for Simulation and Interprofessional studies(ISIS)

The primary goal of ISIS is to provide leadership in the use of simulation technologies to improve the quality of health care education, patient safety and outcomes.
Our nationally recognized center has placed UWMC at the “virtual” cutting edge in surgical skills and simulation. It is conveniently located on the first floor of the University of Washington Medical Center’s Surgery Pavilion. ISIS received accreditation as a Level I Comprehensive Education Institute of the American College of Surgeons in 2006. For more details, refer to their website at www.isis.washington.edu.

Moving Forward in the Global Community

Department of Global Health

In 2006, the Schools of Public Health and Medicine established a new, jointly run Department of Global Health to identify and evaluate health problems and inequities in underserved populations worldwide and to seek innovative interdisciplinary solutions to global health needs. Programs in the Department of Global Health provide a rich educational resource, promote and support interdisciplinary research programs that address global health disparities, and provide opportunities to translate educational and research programs into improving the health of underserved populations through service activities in developing countries. Research projects and service-based activities provide excellent educational opportunities. Students and trainees enrolled in educational programs facilitate educational, research and service activities, all focused on sustainable improvement of health in developing countries.

Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation

In 2007 the launch of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington marked a major milestone for the UW and the City of Seattle. Funded by the largest private gift in the UW’s history—a $105 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation—and $20 million from the UW, the Institute conducts independent, rigorous evaluations of health programs worldwide.Under the leadership of world-renowned health economist Dr. Christopher Murray, the Institute will guide international policymaking by providing high-quality data and analysis on health needs and outcomes and by assessing the performance of health programs.

Northwest Institute for Genetic Medicine

UW scientists and researchers have received a $5.3 million, four-year grant from the Life Sciences Discovery Fund to support the translation of human genetic research into clinical medicine. The grant will launch the Northwest Institute of Genetic Medicine, a collaborative effort between researchers at the UW, Seattle Children's, Group Health and local biotechnology companies, bringing together leaders in genetics and genomics as well as related topics such as bioethics. The Institute will facilitate the design, development and execution of translational genetic studies that bridge the gap between basic science research and clinical studies at academic institutions and biotechnology companies. The goal of the Institute's research will be to prevent illness and speed recovery by identifying which patients are at high risk for disease or best suited to a specific treatment