Mission

Our mission is to produce the highest quality, most experienced Air Force OB GYN residents through a comprehensive and integrated training program. We serve and are committed to the Air Force’s most vulnerable population.

Vision

Resident physicians are fully integrated into all aspects of patient care to include general obstetrics, benign gynecology, as well as all the represented sub-specialty divisions; Gynecologic Oncology, Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Uro Gynecology, Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery and Maternal Fetal Medicine. At the time of graduation, our residents are prepared and fully capable to perform the full spectrum of obstetrics and gynecology care for women. Additionally, it is our goal to train and develop military officers who understand the importance of military readiness and the unique aspects of military medicine.

Aims

• Graduate competent physicians capable of providing the full spectrum of general obstetrical and gynecologic care.
• Establish resident engagement in lifelong learning through practices such as critical assessment of the literature, familiarity with clinical practice guidelines, quality improvement initiative and clinical research.
• Educate residents on the principles of medical professionalism and ethical patient care and maintain high standards for all program members regarding these integral components of excellence in medicine.
• Develop and foster leaders in both obstetrics and gynecology as well as military medicine.

Didactic conferences by the full-time and clinical faculty, cover all specialty and sub-specialty aspects of obstetrics and gynecology, include maternal-fetal medicine, urogynecology, gynecologic oncology, pathology, and reproductive endocrinology and infertility. Additional conferences include gynecologic preoperative conferences, fetal strip reviews, tumor board, morbidity and mortality conferences and journal club. A robust Grand Rounds schedule enables inclusion of a wide range of topics from various visiting speakers, with focus on providing education and experience in improving health equity for underserved populations.

Residents in our program are required to complete a research project during their residency, aided by the Director of Research. The topic and study design, as well as Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval, should be completed under the advice of a faculty mentor not later than the end of the first year of residency. Residents will present their research at the end of the third year of residency at the Resident Research Day, and the goal of the fourth year is to work toward publication of research. Publication in peer-reviewed literature, although strongly encouraged, is not a requirement for graduation.

1st Year 

• 12 weeks Obstetrics - Miami Valley Hospital (MVH)
• 8 weeks Gynecology - MVH
• 4 weeks Well Women’s Clinic - Wright Patterson Medical Center (WPMC)
• 4 weeks GYN clinic - WPMC
• 2 weeks Emergency Medicine - MVH
• 2 weeks Ultrasound - WPMC
• 8 weeks Night Float - MVH
• 4 weeks Family Planning - MVH
• 2 weeks SICU – MVH

During PGY-1, residents learn more complicated surgical procedures. They gain skills and knowledge necessary to care for the complicated obstetrical and gynecologic patient. Some procedures to become in are operative hysteroscopy, OB ultrasound and Gyn ultrasound as well as multiple surgical procedures. R2’s care for pre-term patients on L&D and see more complicated OB patients in the clinic. Supervision of the perinatal ICU patients, in-depth experience managing high-risk obstetric patients. By the end of the second year, residents should have an approved research project and be working on data collection.

2nd Year

• 8 weeks Obstetrics - MVH
• 4 weeks elective time
• 8 weeks Gynecologic Oncology - MVH
• 4 weeks Base Ambulatory and GYN surgery – WPMC
• 4 weeks Urogyn – WPMC/MVH
• 8 weeks Gynecology - MVH
• 8 weeks Night Float – MVH

During PGY-2, residents learn more complicated surgical procedures. They gain skills and knowledge necessary to care for the complicated obstetrical and gynecologic patient. Some procedures to become in are operative hysteroscopy, OB ultrasound and Gyn ultrasound as well as multiple surgical procedures. R2’s care for pre-term patients on L&D and see more complicated OB patients in the clinic. Supervision of the perinatal ICU patients, in-depth experience managing high-risk obstetric patients. By the end of the second year, residents should have an approved research project and be working on data collection.

3rd Year

• 8 weeks Gynecology - MVH
• 4 weeks Base Ambulatory and GYN surgery (base chief) - WPMC
• 4 weeks Uro-Gynecology – MVH, WPMC
• 4 weeks REI
• 4 weeks elective time
• 8 weeks Maternal-Fetal Medicine - MVH
• 4 weeks Kettering (Gyn surgery)
• 8 weeks Night Float – MVH

During PGY-3, residents perform more major surgical procedures, including abdominal hysterectomy and bladder suspensions, and assist on vaginal surgery. Supervision of the High-Risk Obstetric Clinic provides in-depth experience in management of high-risk obstetrical patients. Some procedures to become proficient in are abdominal hysterectomy, operative laparoscopy/ovarian cystectomy, and office-based hysteroscopy.

Third year residents are given the opportunity to plan a four-week elective rotation of the choosing (i.e. Research, REI, MFM, Urogynecology, Gynecologic Oncology, Minimally Invasive Gynecology, Urology, etc.). If residents would prefer to remain on the REI rotation, they may choose to do so. Presentation of a completed research project is required by the end of this year. A formal journal club presentation is also required during this year.

4th Year

• 8 weeks Obstetrics - MVH
• 8 weeks Gynecology - MVH
• 8 weeks Gynecologic Oncology - MVH
• 8 weeks Uro-Gynecology/REI - MVH
• 8 weeks Night Float – MVH
• 4 weeks Family Planning

During PGY-4 as a fourth-year resident, one is considered the chief resident for his or her assigned service. Chief residents perform complicated major procedures including abdominal, vaginal and oncology surgery. Specialized procedures such as laser, microsurgery and robotics are also performed. They function as consultants to the junior residents in management of the obstetric and surgical suites. Chiefs will become proficient in vaginal and abdominal hysterectomy, TVT, total laparoscopic hysterectomy and office-based urogynecology as well as many other procedures. The chief resident will arrange administrative details of the program, delegate responsibility to junior residents and be responsible to the attending for all patients on the Ob-Gyn services. In addition, R4s are required to make one Grand Rounds presentation. During this year residents will work on their research papers and submit presentations to local and/or national meetings.

This is a list of some potential elective rotation options. We are flexible and can accommodate almost any elective rotation if given enough notice for planning.

• Acupuncture
• Active-Duty Medicine
• Allergy & Immunology
• Anesthesiology
• Cardiology
• Dermatology
• Diabetes Management
• Endocrinology
• Family Medicine Clinic
• Flight Medicine
• Gastroenterology
• Geriatrics
• Gynecology
• Hematology/Oncology
• HIV Primary Care
• Human Nutrition
• Infectious Diseases
• Inpatient Medicine
• Intensive Care Unit
• Nephrology
• Obstetrics
• Ophthalmology
• Otolaryngology
• Pediatrics
• Plastic Surgery
• Podiatry
• Procedures 
• Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
• Psychiatry
• Public Health
• Pulmonary Medicine
• Radiology
• Research
• Rheumatology
• Rural Primary Care
• Sleep Medicine
• Surgery
• Urology
• Wound Care

Residents take call at Miami Valley Hospital and cover both the obstetrics and the gynecology services. They work in teams of three or four on their call shifts.

Military unique curriculum for the OB/GYN resident centers around supporting the readiness of our service members. Ensuring a ready fighting force translates into all aspects of obstetrics, gynecology, and women’s health care. One important impact that OB/GYNs have on the readiness of the female service member is prevention of unplanned or mistimed pregnancy and female specific health needs in preparation for deployment. Our program has a heavy focus on quality contraception for our active-duty patients with a special emphasis on LARC (long-acting reversible contraception). Additionally, residents receive didactic training on the specific deployment needs for women such as menstrual suppression and avoidance of common complaints (i.e. urinary tract infections, vaginitis, etc.).

Return to duty and fitness for duty following pregnancy is also a key component of readiness of the female service member. We emphasize the importance of quality postpartum care and offering comprehensive contraception options, to include the provision of immediate placement of LARCs in our postpartum populations. There are also many potential pregnancy complications that can impact a woman’s long-term health including hypertensive disease, gestational diabetes, and postpartum depression. Scholarly activity is ongoing in our department in all these areas in attempt to identify rates of these complications in our active-duty population and ensure appropriate screening and management of these conditions.

Residents participate in simulation regularly during protected didactic time. This also includes cadaveric simulation.

Residents attend a formal leadership course sponsored by Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics (APOG) Council on Resident Education in Obstetrics and Gynecology (CREOG). This takes place at the end of the third year.

Residents are required to complete a research project in order to graduate. They present this project at an Annual Department Research Day in their third year.

Residents participate in morbidity and mortality conference at least monthly, hospital Root Cause Analysis (RCA) meetings and quality improvement (QI) initiatives in the clinic.

In addition to our program leadership curriculum, residents are also involved in American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) at the Armed Forces District (AFD) and national level. They participate in hospital committees at both WPMC and MVH.

• Wright Patterson Medical Center
• Miami Valley Hospital
• University of Cincinnati
• Kettering Hospital

Applicants in their 4th year of medical school, who are interested in attending an ADT Rotation must contact the Program Coordinator via email. Once a rotation offer has been extended and accepted, the student will spend four weeks shadowing clinics, deliveries, and surgeries gaining an inside perspective into what resident life is like in our program. We typically offer four active duty training (ADT) rotations and can take up to two students per date.

Residents participate in morbidity and mortality conference at least monthly, hospital Root Cause Analysis (RCA) meetings and quality improvement (QI) initiatives in the clinic.

Program graduates take the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ABOG) board exam in order to become board-certified. It is a 2-part exam. The qualifying exam (written exam) is offered once a year in mid-July after graduating residency. After graduating, the certifying (oral) exam must be completed within eight years. Typically, cases are collected for one year, followed by oral boards in October – December of the following year. It traditionally takes two years from graduation to become board-certified.

Residents interact and teach Wright State University and USUHS medical students on a regular basis.

Residents interact with family medicine, emergency medicine and trauma surgery fellows.

All subspecialities except for MIGS are represented between WPMC and MVH clinical sites.

Our program has a formal mentoring program. Resident classes are paired with a faculty advisor and meet with them regularly throughout the year.

Our program has a formal wellness curriculum and participates in ACOG wellness week every year. We offer two full day resident retreats in the spring and the fall. Residents also get a ½ day off every two months—we have named this a wellness half day and encourage residents to always use this time.