Department of OBGYN
  1. Residency
  2. Our Program

Our Program

Overview & Mission

Our mission is to train future specialists and subspecialist practitioners, to serve society by providing outstanding patient-centered care, and contributing to knowledge and scholarship in women’s health while advocating and promoting excellence in obstetrics and gynecology.  We take tremendous pride in the accomplishments and multi-faceted career paths of our graduates including frontline care providers, NIH-funded basic science researchers, advocates for women’s health, educators, and leaders in academic Obstetrics and Gynecology.   

 

Our aim as a training program is to provide rigorous clinical experience and didactics with the goal of excellence in general obstetrics and gynecology; along with opportunities for individualized training as a foundation for a fulfilling career in medicine by promoting expertise, leadership skills, and scholarly achievement. We strive to build a supportive learning and working environment that allows physicians to grow as role models for professionalism, caring, and compassion. We are committed to a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion centered on the well-being of all individuals in our clinical and academic community.  We endeavor to harness our integrated capabilities to deliver outstanding safe, quality, and high-value care.

About Our Program

The UPMC Medical Education Obstetrics and Gynecology four-year residency program is an ideal place for an experiential learner who wants to obtain excellent obstetrical, gynecological, and lifelong learning skills.  Notable characteristics of our Program include: 

  • High clinical volume and range of acuity and diagnoses ensure that trainees develop outstanding clinical skills required for practice in any clinical environment.
    • The residency training experience is centered at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital, with dedicated faculty committed to the clinical and academic growth of the residents.
    • UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital is primarily a women’s hospital, which serves as a regional referral center for a large catchment area.
    • Procedural volume to ensure adequate case experience and preparation for independent practice.
    • Residents are front-line care providers for ambulatory patients, both in the full-time faculty and clinical faculty patient offices. Residents participate in patient care as defined by level-specific learning objectives, with increasing responsibility and autonomy. All patients cared for at the hospital are available for resident participation. All physicians with privileges at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital participate and contribute to resident education.
  • Obstetrical and gynecologic care is a major component of the mission at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital; residents collaborate with full-service specialty consultation services on-site, including critical care medicine, general and subspecialty internal medicine, general surgery, psychiatry, and others. 
  • Large faculty with a high degree of expertise and national prominence:
    • Trainees learn from experts in the field, working with outstanding role models and mentors.
    • Obstetric practice includes operative vaginal delivery (forceps and vacuum).
    • The department is committed to offering non-surgical treatment options for gynecologic conditions, while also advocating for and offering expert surgeons in minimally invasive routes of hysterectomy (vaginal, robotic, and laparoscopic).
  • Opportunities to work collaboratively with advanced practice providers, including certified midwives, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants in both outpatient and inpatient settings. 
  • Strong academic culture:
    • The residency program enjoys strong support from department and hospital leadership.
    • Trainees learn to practice evidence-based medicine; Residents are challenged to become clear-headed clinical thinkers
    • All residents are required to complete a research project. The results of their efforts are presented at the annual Residents' Research Day held in May of the third year of training.  Many residents submit and present their work at national and regional conferences and go on to publish in peer-review journals. Residents give presentations at multiple departmental conferences during their training. Graduates of our program develop excellent skills in creating and giving presentations.
    • The department offers multiple subspecialty fellowships.  Residents who seek subspecialty fellowships have outstanding opportunities locally and nationally; trainees attain broad, clinical, and procedural skills; faculty effectively balance resident procedural training with fellow procedural training due to vast experience; and, fellows are outstanding role models and mentors for residents.
    • Residents play a central role in educating other medical trainees. All University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine third-year medical students do their required Obstetrics and Gynecology core clerkship at Magee. Residents are integral to the success of this clerkship. Residents teach each other in formal and informal settings. To ensure that trainees acquire medical education skills, residents participate in a “Resident as Teacher” session as part of the core curriculum.
  • Opportunities to individualize training within the core curriculum
    • Dedicated ambulatory selective rotation during the PGY2 year for career exploration. Residents can individualize their experiences within the UPMC system, in Pittsburgh suburbs, or in rural community settings.
    • The PGY3 year includes a dedicated (4-5 week) elective rotation, during which residents can travel for global health or audition electives. Some residents have used this time to pursue basic science research or to complete their research projects.
    • Selected ambulatory sessions during a PGY4 ambulatory rotation.
  • The program curriculum integrates simulation training into many aspects of education. Simulation activities are targeted to help residents optimize their learning curve during patient care:
    • Beginning with the 2023 intern class, the program has switched from the Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery program (FLS) to the Essentials in Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery program (EMIGS) with proctored practice by the MIGS faculty/fellows and certification.  
    • DaVinci's robotic training curriculum, including Mimic virtual reality training (equipment on-site at Magee) and live surgery.
    • Residents on the PGY3 Urogynecology and PGY2 Ambulatory Selective rotations will participate in robotic simulation at the Pittsburgh CREATES Innovation in Surgery Center twice during each rotation.  
    • Simulated patients to refine communication skills.
    • Inter-professional Obstetric Crisis Team Training course to develop crisis teamwork, communication, and organization skills in a full-scale human simulation setting
  • Ryan Residency Program
  • The residency has continued accreditation status from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).

Additional information for our training program can be viewed at:

 

Program Contact Information:

Chelsea Boocks
Director of Operations, GME
Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency Training Program
UPMC Medical Education
UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital
300 Halket Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3180  

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