Residency Curriculum
The educational experience of our residents is strongly rooted in the clinical rotations and augmented by the Friday education series, simulation training, journal club, and rotation-based conferences. The Council on Resident Education in Obstetrics and Gynecology (CREOG) educational objectives and American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ABOG) competency areas advise our core curriculum.
The residency clinical training takes place largely at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and its affiliated ambulatory surgery centers, with optional abortion training out of state. Outpatient care largely takes place at the department’s largest outpatient center, the Vanderbilt Center for Women’s Health at One Hundred Oaks. The intern clinical curriculum focuses on acquisition of foundational skills in low-risk obstetric care, routine postpartum care, well-woman care, family planning, perioperative care, and office gynecology. Many intern clinical experiences are one-on-one teaching experiences with dedicated faculty. As residents progress in their training, they take on more subspecialty level training and care, achieving more autonomy. By the fourth year, chief residents take on the role of junior attending in the clinic, on the floor, and in the operating room. Rotation-based conferences complement residents’ clinical experiences on Gyn Oncology (tumor board), Gynecology (preoperative and Gyn education conferences), Labor and Delivery (low-risk OB curriculum, fetal monitoring conference), Maternal Fetal Medicine (ultrasound conference/rounds, high-risk OB curriculum), REI, and Family Planning.
As a Ryan Residency Program, Vanderbilt is committed to providing robust and comprehensive family planning and abortion training for our residents. The 8-week family planning rotation for interns includes Vanderbilt-based hands-on training in advanced contraception, ultrasonography, early pregnancy management, MVA/D&C/D&E procedures, and provision of abortion as allowed under Tennessee law. For residents who opt to receive additional abortion training, a 4-week out-of-state rotation is offered with funding support.
The knowledge acquired in the clinical rotations is enhanced and solidified with a robust simulation and workshop series. The OB curriculum benefits greatly from the addition of scheduled simulation twice annually for each rotation team in the Center for Experiential Learning and Assessment (CELA), Vanderbilt’s simulation center. Protected workshops are offered six times per year and provide hands-on, faculty-guided learning for surgical anatomy (animal labs, cadaver labs, virtual simulation), obstetrical procedures (forceps, laceration repair, obstetrical emergencies), and office procedures.
Friday education time is protected time for resident staff and follows the CREOG educational objectives organized into the three ABOG areas of office, gynecology, and obstetrics. As part of Friday education time, the chiefs of service present Morbidity, Mortality, and Improvement conference, and Grand Rounds are presented by invited faculty. In addition to resident education sessions on the CREOG educational objectives, Friday education time also incorporates curriculum on the business of medicine, career development, and residents as teachers. Resident-led, department-wide journal clubs take place monthly and cover the newest publications in Gyn Oncology, Operative Gynecology, Maternal Fetal Medicine, General OBGYN, REI, Urogyn, and Family Planning. In addition, each year, residents attend a Vanderbilt CME conference in pelvic surgery or high-risk obstetrics.
The clinical rotation schedule is based on a lunar calendar in four-week blocks. The sample schedule for each training year is listed below:
4th Year Residents
Perioperative Gynecology x 8 weeks
Gynecologic Oncology x 8 weeks
Obstetrics/L&D Nights x 8 weeks
Obstetrics/L&D Days x 8 weeks
Operative Gynecology x 8 weeks
Consult/Advanced Outpatient Gynecology x 8 weeks
3rd Year Residents
Gynecologic Oncology / Pathology x 8 weeks
Obstetrics/L&D Nights x 8 weeks
Obstetrics/L&D Days x 8 weeks
Operative Urogynecology x 8 weeks
Operative Gynecology x 8 weeks
Focus (Home Elective) x 4 weeks
Away Elective x 4 weeks
2nd Year Residents
Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility x 8 weeks
Gynecologic Oncology x 8 weeks
Operative Gynecology x 8 weeks
Maternal Fetal Medicine x 8 weeks
OB Procedures Service (C-sections) x 4 weeks
Outpatient Gyn x 4 weeks
Obstetrics/L&D Nights x 8 weeks
1st Year Residents
Obstetrics/L&D Days x 8 weeks
Obstetrics/L&D Nights x 8 weeks
Family Planning x 8 weeks
Outpatient OB/Gyn x 8 weeks
Operative Gynecology x 8 weeks
Gynecologic Oncology x 4 weeks
OB Procedures Service (C-sections) x 4 weeks
