Curriculum

The Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency curriculum provides a comprehensive framework in which residents explore general and subspecialty topics. Residents engage in both traditional and nontraditional learning activities in a variety of instructional formats to optimize their professional development. The structured inquiry-based didactic program provides residents with flexibility to individualize their learning activities. Clinical training provides progressive levels of responsibility for clinical management in the provision of patient-centered care.

Curriculum Components

Didactic Program

The formal didactic series includes the lecture-based grand rounds series, quality improvement conferences, large and small group discussions, simulation and skills workshops and self-directed learning.

Grand Rounds

The Department of Women’s Health Grand Rounds series invites visiting and local faculty to present the latest evidence-based medical information and techniques relevant to current and future clinical practice in an inclusive, interprofessional learning environment.

Patient Safety Conference

The monthly patient-safety conference enhances clinical reasoning, decision-making, root-cause analysis and problem-solving. This case-based conference was developed as a forum for interprofessional discussion focused on patient safety, quality improvement, health equity and health care value on the gynecology and obstetrics services.

Journal Club

Each month, residents, medical students and faculty members engage in small-group discussions as they review and appraise the literature to augment the practice of evidence-based medicine.

Pre-Op Conference

This weekly, resident-led surgical planning conference was designed to foster inquiry and cultivate residents’ clinical-reasoning skills while optimizing patients for upcoming operative procedures and improving outcomes.

Simulation/Surgical Skills

The program’s simulation activities are conducted in a variety of formats, including classroom-based skills lab, in-situ drills, asynchronous learning modules and individualized training. Activities focus on emergent care, rare events, communication and interprofessional teamwork. We offer surgical-skills training for open, minimally-invasive and robotic procedures. All residents prepare for Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery certification on our simulators and participate in our longitudinal ultrasound curriculum that includes skill development on our high-fidelity ultrasound trainer.

Wellness Series

Each month, residents participate in learning activities designed to support their personal health and well-being. This humanistic approach to learning focuses on creating self-sustained physical and psychological resilience throughout and beyond their training.

In addition to the weekly series, residents are provided with a half day of discretionary time approximately four times per year that allows them to attend to their own personal well-being.

Resident Didactic Series

Presented in an interactive environment, these weekly learning sessions expand residents’ knowledge base in topics across the spectrum of obstetrics, gynecology, and associated subspecialties. Didactics are presented using a variety of active instructional methods, including flipped classrooms, small-group discussions and case-based learning to enhance knowledge retention. This educational series also includes topics such as residents-as-teachers, team building and leadership.

Longitudinal Research Curriculum

All residents are required to complete a research project prior to graduation. Residents attain foundational knowledge through their active participation in formal research coursework beginning in their intern year. Course topics include epidemiology, study design and critical appraisal of the literature. Residents spend their second and third years engaging in research, and present their work on research day during their PGY-4 year.

Self-Directed Learning

Residents are provided protected time each week to engage in individualized, autonomous learning. Examples of activities residents may use this time for include upcoming didactic preparation, research studies or quality improvement projects, mentorship sessions, reflective writing and self-assessment exercises, presentation of medical student lectures, surgical skills practice, completion of asynchronous learning modules or preparation for in-service or board examinations.

Advancing Care Transformation

The ACT Foundations in Care Transformation curriculum is a three-year, multidisciplinary health systems science curriculum. All Dell Med residents meet virtually to learn about important topics such as value-based care, quality improvement, equity, leadership and teamwork.

Distinction in Care Transformation

In addition to ACT’s foundations courses, the curriculum’s distinction program offers the opportunity for residents and fellows to engage more deeply in learning about health systems science. They apply new knowledge and skills to rethink the current health care system, create innovative solutions that improve the quality of care and develop as health systems leaders.

At least one obstetrics and gynecology intern is selected for the program each year and begins participating at the beginning of their PGY-2 year.

Clinical Training

The academic year is divided into 13 blocks, and each block is four weeks. Three blocks are designated “flex” blocks. These blocks allow the program to individualize and supplement residents’ training as needed based upon the quantity and quality of their unique experiences.

New residents matriculate with a paid program orientation in mid-June just prior to beginning their first block in late June. Advancing residents simultaneously transition to new leadership and clinical roles.

3 blocks: Obstetrics
3 blocks: Gynecology
3 blocks: Obstetrics nights
1 block: Pediatric and adolescent gynecology/family planning
1 block: Integrated practice units
1 block: Reproductive endocrinology and infertility
1 block: Surgical intensive care unit

Obstetrics: Residents are introduced to labor and delivery at Ascension Seton Medical Center Austin, where they focus on normal obstetrics in a busy tertiary care setting. This rotation builds a solid foundation for the development of complex obstetrical skills through participation in obstetrical triage, intrapartum management, vaginal and primary cesarean deliveries and postpartum care.

Gynecology: Residents on the gynecology service at Dell Seton Medical Center at The University of Texas are introduced to inpatient gynecologic care in a major urban hospital. This rotation focuses on building foundational operative skills; management of peri-surgical care operative care and exposure to the emergency department consultation; and obstetrical trauma management under the supervision of senior residents and faculty.

Obstetrics Nights: Based at ASMCA, residents gain further exposure to obstetrics in this rotation. Experiences include obstetrical triage, intrapartum management, vaginal and primary cesarean deliveries and postpartum care.

Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology/Family Planning: Residents on the pediatric and adolescent gynecology rotation focus on the unique medical and surgical needs of pediatric and adolescent patients, both in the outpatient clinic and inpatient setting at Dell Children’s Medical Center. They counsel for and provide contraception and sterilization services. This rotation also includes dedicated time for simulation training and participation in outpatient clinical experiences, including colposcopy/LEEP and gynecologic ultrasound. Patient care is provided in the Ascension Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology clinic and CommUnityCare clinics.

Integrated Practice Units: Residents working in the integrated practice unit clinics work with physicians, mid-level providers, nursing staff, other residents and medical students. They practice patient-centered care in a multidisciplinary, interprofessional, value-based clinical model for people with complex gynecologic conditions including pelvic pain and vulvodynia. The rotation is designed to provide an introductory experience in both the surgical and nonsurgical management of people with these conditions.

Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility/Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology: The REI rotation introduces residents to the basic evaluation and management of infertility, ovulation induction and various assisted-reproduction techniques. This rotation includes dedicated time for simulation training and didactics with faculty. REI care is provided at UT Health Austin and Aspire Fertility, where residents learn about reproductive endocrinology as well as the medical and surgical management of infertility.

Surgical Intensive Care Unit: Residents care for critically ill patients in the SICU at Dell Seton. Residents build their knowledge of critical care medicine, which prepares them to take care of acutely ill gynecologic and obstetrical patients throughout their careers.

2 blocks: Obstetrics
1 block: Obstetrics
2 blocks: Private gynecology
1 block: Gynecology nights
2 blocks: Gynecologic oncology
1 block: Pediatric and adolescent gynecology/family planning
2 blocks: Flex rotation, assigned on individual needs

Obstetrics: Second-year residents return to labor and delivery at ASMCA to focus on managing abnormal labor, performing operative vaginal and repeat cesarean deliveries and caring for more complicated patients during the postpartum period. PGY-2 residents are also introduced to inpatient management of high-risk obstetrical patients.

Obstetrics Nights: Based at ASMCA, residents gain further exposure to obstetrics in this rotation. Experiences include the management of medically complicated pregnancies, admission of antepartum patients and supervision of Family Medicine and Emergency Medicine interns.

Private gynecology: After completion of FLS training during intern year, the PGY-2 private gynecology rotation is designed to target the development of more complex, minimally invasive surgical skills, focusing on operative hysteroscopy, straight-stick laparoscopy and robotic surgery. Residents have the opportunity to participate in the surgical and post-operative care of patients under the supervision of multiple UT faculty physicians in private general and oncology practices.

Gynecology Nights: Residents develop increasing confidence and independence in working urgent and emergent gynecologic complaints during the gynecology nights rotation. Residents staff the gynecology, urogynecology and oncology pagers, and they manage inpatient needs, emergency consults, and urgent surgeries under the guidance of attending physicians.

Private Gynecology: After completion of FLS training during intern year, the PGY-2 private gynecology rotation is designed to target the development of residents’ minimally invasive surgical skills. Residents have the opportunity to participate in the surgical and postoperative care of patients under the supervision of multiple UT faculty physicians in private general and oncology practices.

Gynecologic Oncology: PGY-2 gynecologic oncology residents participate in the initial evaluation of people with gynecologic malignancies as well as medical, surgical and radiation therapy. They manage oncologic care in both the inpatient and ambulatory settings and are introduced to palliative care. These residents take oncology call two weekends per month, during which they manage inpatient issues and consultations under the guidance of an attending physician.

Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology/Family Planning: The PGY-2 residents on the pediatric and adolescent gynecology rotation focus on the more complex medical and surgical needs of pediatric and adolescent patients, enhancing their role as consultants. They counsel for and provide contraception and sterilization services. This rotation also includes dedicated time for simulation training and participation in outpatient clinical experiences, including colposcopy/LEEP and gynecologic ultrasound. Patient care is provided in the Ascension Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology clinic and CommUnityCare clinics.

Clinic: The clinic rotation is based at CommUnityCare and includes concentrated exposure to outpatient medicine including general obstetrics and gynecology, perioperative care, colposcopy and high-risk obstetrics.

2 blocks: Maternal-fetal medicine
1 block: Obstetrics nights
2 blocks: Urogynecology
2 block: Gynecology
1 block: Gynecology nights
1 block: Elective
1 block: Float
3 blocks: Flex

Maternal-Fetal Medicine: The MFM rotation includes management of the inpatient antepartum service at ASMCA and outpatient experiences at the CommUnityCare Health Centers high-risk obstetrical clinic. Residents participate in obstetric ultrasonography within the Ascension Seton Antenatal Testing Unit and are responsible for the teaching and supervision of junior residents and medical students who care for antepartum patients.

Obstetrics Nights: This ASMCA-based rotation includes further exposure to obstetrics, including the management of medically complicated pregnancies, admission of antepartum patients and the supervision of Family Medicine and Emergency Medicine interns.

Urogynecology: Residents advance their skills in the evaluation and treatment of pelvic floor disorders in this PGY-3 rotation. Residents are responsible for the clinical and surgical management of urinary and fecal incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse. They enhance their leadership skills as they manage the CommUnityCare Health Centers urogynecology clinic and the inpatient urogynecology surgical service. In addition, they hone their skills in vaginal surgery.

Gynecology: The third-year gynecology rotation gives residents the opportunity to participate in advanced gynecologic surgery as part of the gynecology team at Dell Seton Medical Center. They will enhance skills as gynecologic consultants through inpatient management and outpatient clinics focusing on complex gynecologic conditions and perioperative management. Residents have the opportunity to participate in the surgical and post-operative care of patients under the supervision of multiple UT affiliate faculty physicians, allowing for exposure to a variety of advanced surgical techniques.

Gynecology Nights: Residents refine their diagnostic skills as they care for urgent and emergent gynecologic conditions during the third-year rotation. Residents staff the gynecology and oncology pagers, managing inpatient needs, emergency consults and urgent surgeries under the guidance of attending physicians.

Elective: This rotation was added to the third-year residency schedule by resident request. This block allows residents to spend time in a focus area of their choosing, including clinical care or research. This rotation requires residents to create their own learning objectives, and it can be accomplished within or outside of the institution and may include time abroad.

Float: This rotation was added to the schedule by resident request. Float time allows for coverage of resident vacations, thereby adding flexibility to vacation scheduling and increasing the continuity on other rotations.

2 blocks: Obstetrics
2 blocks: Obstetrics nights
2 blocks: Gynecology
2 blocks: Gynecologic oncology
1 block: Clinic
1 block: Float
3 blocks: Flex

Obstetrics: Obstetrical training culminates during this rotation. The chief resident assigned to this rotation supervises all students and residents assigned to the health care team. The chief is also responsible for overseeing all triage, labor, antepartum and postpartum patients at ASMCA.

Obstetrics Nights: This rotation provides night coverage for the obstetrical service at ASMCA. The PGY-4 assigned to this service is responsible for supervising all students and residents assigned to their team. They are also primarily responsible for admitting new patients to these services.

Gynecology: This rotation serves as the culmination of training in gynecology. The chief resident assigned to this rotation performs and acts as a teaching assistant in complicated surgical procedures, including vaginal surgery. The resident is responsible for all gynecologic patients admitted to Dell Seton and supervises the student/resident team assigned to this service. Outpatient experiences include continuity clinic and preoperative clinic.

Gynecologic Oncology: The resident on this service is responsible for the management of all patients within the gynecologic oncology service. This includes initial evaluation; medical, surgical and radiation therapy; and outpatient and end-of-life care. This resident is responsible for oncology call two weekends per month, during which they manage inpatient issues and consultations under the supervision of an attending physician.

Clinic: The clinic rotation is based at CommUnityCare Health Centers and includes concentrated exposure to outpatient medicine, including general obstetrics and gynecology, perioperative care, colposcopy and high-risk obstetrics.

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