Curriculum

Academic Program

The Academic Program is rigorous and comprehensive. The clinical and didactic education provided requires participation in the hospital-based activities, and promotes the concept of lifelong learning emphasizing the importance of outside reading and seeking of knowledge.

Rotations

Year 1
The PGY-1 year has been structured to better accommodate the learning experience while complying with the required duty hour regulations. The main thrust of this year is an introduction and orientation to all aspects of clinical care for women. Rotations include: obstetrics (2 months general obstetrics, 1 month maternal fetal medicine, 1 month ATU, and 2 months in night float), gynecology (2 months), neonatal medicine, (1 month), emergency medicine (1 month), and ambulatory medicine (1 month Women’s Care Center WCC). All rotations are based at Hahnemann University Hospital. PGY-1 residents begin their own continuity practice after they have completed their WCC orientation rotation.
Year 2
The PGY-2 residents continue their education by focusing on the areas of women's health that will become the primary base of their clinical practice in future years. While the emphasis is on the continuity from the ambulatory to the inpatient setting for all primary aspect of care for women, the residents also begin to get exposure to the subspecialties in our field as well as critical care medicine. Rotations include: obstetrics (2 months OB, 1-2 months MFM, 2 months night float and 2 months Northeastern OB*), gynecology (2-4 months), gynecologic oncology (2 months), and surgical intensive care unit (1 month). Residents maintain their continuity practice at WCC throughout all rotations during this year. Residents are expected to initiate their research project during this year.

*Northeastern Hospital (NE) is a community hospital located 5 miles from our Center City campus.
Year 3
The PGY-3 residents begin to accept senior responsibilities while gaining a well-rounded experience in general OB/GYN. They gain further experience in Maternal Fetal Medicine and Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility. During this year, we encourage residents to pursue their personal interests and research project. The structured experience allows for graded responsibility for each house officer. The residents actively participate in the education of 3rd- and 4th-year medical students on their OB/GYN clerkship and electives. Rotations include: gynecology (5 months), obstetrics (2.5 months MFM, 1.5 month general, 2 months night float), and reproductive endocrinology and infertility (1 month), Residents are expected to further their research projects and continue to develop their continuity practice. Residents spend 2 months on GYN at NE.
Year 4
The PGY-4 residents rotate as junior attendings with high levels of responsibility. They enjoy continuity of care of their patients from the ambulatory to the inpatient setting. They serve as primary leaders of the GYN, OB and Ambulatory Services. Their ambulatory experience during their PGY-4 year is of utmost importance to emphasize not only the clinical management of patients, but also the role of the clinicians as the manager of the practice including issues of billing, staffing, patient flow, facility design/planning, patient follow-up and contact. Additionally, PGY-4 residents complete their sub-specialty training in REI, GYN Oncology, and Maternal Fetal Medicine. They are recognized as active leaders of their services and participate in the education of not only medical students, but also the other residents. Rotations include: obstetrics (2 months general and 2 months night float), gynecology (3 months), REI (1month), GONC (2 months), and ambulatory care (2 months). Residents must complete and present their research projects.

OPLOG Data Collection – Throughout the residents' training, residents are expected to collect their clinical experience data and enter this data into the ACGME OBGYN data collection system. OPLOG is an internet-based data-collection system and can be accessed from any hospital or home computer through the internet. Residents will review their data periodically with the program director for accuracy, verification, and experience. This is a requirement to be completed in order to eligible to sit for your board exams.

Data compliance is verified prior to each vacation.

Conferences

There is a strong emphasis on didactic education in this program. We have revamped our morning conference to facilitate AM sign-out. The morning conference schedule reflects this through scheduled conference and lectures. Monday mornings, morning report followed by MFM conference. Tuesday mornings are our grand round series which include regional, national and international speakers, as well as the monthly Journal Club where articles are presented by residents and residents review a current text on study design and appraisal. Wednesday is reserved for attending service rounds which typically occur on the floors and strip review in OB. Thursday is our faculty lecture series with each subspecialty taking one Thursday a month to complete a two year lecture curriculum. Friday mornings are reserved for Program Director meetings and MFM conferences. Other sub-specialties have their own conference schedules including: HIV, NICU, pre-op, and GONC. Residents participate in their own study series, which include review of ACOG educational bulletins and current texts. The GYN team supports a monthly pathology conference. Additionally, the residents are able to participate in the Obstetrical Society of Philadelphia’s monthly resident education program.

Research

The department of OBGYN is one of the strongest research departments in our institution and in the country. Under the leadership of our chair, we participate in regional, national and international research endeavors. Current MFM research funding pushes our department into the top 20 of medical school departments in the nation.

Other divisions and generalists participate in clinical and bench research. All residents are expected to complete a research project during their training. It is to be presented to the department, the Obstetrical Society of Philadelphia and the Drexel Research Day in the Spring of their PGY-4 year.

Evaluations

Residents are evaluated monthly utilizing the ACGME Competency categories for evaluation listed below. Residents receive formal written feedback every six months and meet not only with the Program Director, but also their selected advisor to review their progress and are assessed in a 360-degree manner.

General Competencies

The residency program requires its residents to obtain competency in the 6 areas below to the level expected of a new practitioner. Toward this end, the program defines the specific knowledge, skills, and attitudes required and provides educational experiences as needed in order for its residents to demonstrate:

1. Patient Care that is compassionate, appropriate, and effective for the treatment of health problems and the promotion of health

2. Medical Knowledge about established and evolving biomedical, clinical, and cognate (e.g., epidemiological and social-behavioral) sciences and the application of this knowledge to patient care

3. Practice-Based Learning and improvement that involves investigation and evaluation of their own patient care, appraisal and assimilation of scientific evidence, and improvements in patient care

4. Interpersonal and Communication Skills that result in effective information exchange and teaming with patients, their families, and other health professionals

5. Professionalism, as manifested through a commitment to carrying out professional responsibilities, adherence to ethical principles, and sensitivity to a diverse patient population

6. Systems-Based Practice, as manifested by actions that demonstrate an awareness of and responsiveness to the larger context and system of health care and the ability to effectively call on system resources to provide care that is of optimal value

Residents receive semi-annual transcripts of their progress through the program and are required to verify their data collection at the time of their semi-annual progress reports.

Residents are required to take the Council on Resident Education in OBGYN (CREOG) In-training Examination, which is given on the third Saturday of January every year. An additional day for the examination as approved by CREOG is provided to the residents to avoid the resident being post-call or on-call during the examination. The exam is given with the security policy of CREOG.

Residents complete anonymous evaluations on each other and on the program at least annually. Information from these evaluations is utilized in the resident's evaluations as well as in guiding the development of the program and it educational structure. Faculty evaluations are presented to the chair to present to faculty members during the departmental review.