Why Have an Ob/Gyn Residency Program That Focuses on Tracking?

What makes Cleveland Clinic’s Obstetrics & Gynecology (Ob/Gyn) Residency Program stand apart? It was developed to be trainee-centered, allowing residents to customize their curriculum to their own interests.

“Ours is the only Ob/Gyn in the country that has a tracking curriculum, so it’s a big attractor for people to come into our program,” explains Residency Program Director Vicki Reed, MD.

In fact, even though it is only six years old, the program has already grown the incoming complement from five to seven new residents per year. Participants come from all over the country with the option to specialize in family planning, female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery, specialty Ob/Gyn, global health, gynecologic oncology, maternal fetal medicine or reproductive endocrinology and infertility.

The residents may then choose to learn more about aspects of those specialties, such as palliative care, pathology, radiation oncology or robotic surgery, in their elective rotations. In addition to other specialty training at affiliated hospitals, the program also offers global health opportunities such as cervical cancer screening in El Salvador, Haiti and China.

A research showcase

Residents have the opportunity to research projects through the Ob/Gyn & Women’s Health Institute (WHI) throughout their four-year program. Each spring, second- and third-year residents present their findings in judged oral or poster presentations to staff physicians in a half-day Research Day under the direction of Vice Chair of Research Ruth Farrell, MD. “Research Day is a way to share ideas and stimulate new ideas for research,” Dr. Reed notes.

After a keynote address from a well-known invited guest, the residents present findings that range from “Does Iron Supplementation Adequately Treat Anemia in Pregnancy Following Bariatric Surgery?” to “Why Do Patients Call after Surgery? Reasons and Risk Factors for Seeking Unscheduled Medical Advice in the Postoperative Period.”

From July 2017 to July 2018, the program’s 21 residents published 43 articles and one book chapter, delivered 18 presentations at conferences and were conducting 166 ongoing research projects overseen by Cleveland Clinic’s Institutional Review Board.

Rigor and opportunity

Residents gain vast experience in both obstetrics and gynecology. Across Cleveland Clinic’s hospitals, there are as many as 10,000 deliveries each year. They assist in vaginal deliveries, vacuum-assisted vaginal deliveries, forceps-assisted vaginal deliveries and cesarean sections.

They also amass a great deal of surgical experience with patients, simulations and cadavers, including a fundamentals of laparoscopic surgery class that the residency has offered from the beginning of training. The residents are extremely well prepared to enter either practice or a fellowship.

There’s also the option of taking Robotic Training Network curriculum, too. “There is a minimum number of surgical cases established by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, and our residents exceed those numbers exponentially,” Dr. Reed says.

Many residents go on to do a research fellowship. Last year, four of the five members of the Class of 2018 wanted to be fellows, and they were all matched. The program is accredited by the American Council for Graduate Medical Education.

In order to help residents avoid burnout and support wellness “L.E.A.D.E.R” (Leadership, Equanimity, Acceptance, Diversity, Engagement and Resilience), there is a curriculum on topics such as team-building, mentorships, mindfulness and professionalism. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists selected the program for a pilot on wellness this year. Also, each fall, all residents participate in a resident-only retreat. “There’s a big focus on resident well-being and physician well-being,” Dr. Reed says.