The Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency Program at Albany Medical Center is an ACGME fully accredited four-year program for 24 residents. Residents are taught basic obstetrics and gynecological patient care with subspecialty training in maternal fetal medicine, urogynecology, oncology reproductive endocrinology and infertility. The educational goal of the Program is to provide quality education leading to Board certification as a consultant obstetrician/gynecologist and to prepare the resident for the roles of serving as a primary care physician in reproduction for women. Our residents will be prepared to enter clinical practice/primary care, subspecialty/research training, or academic medicine.
Noted below is an overview of the curriculum requirements for each of the four years of residency.
First Year
Intern Boot Camp
The first rotation (4 weeks) is spent in the Department. Didactic lectures on basic topics of obstetrics and gynecology are presented daily. The R1 also is given a course in fetal heart monitoring and neonatal resuscitation each of which culminate in a national certificate. The CREOG Surgical Course and a basic laparoscopy course will be completed. The remainder of the time will be sspent at Albany Medical Center (one week on obstetrics and one week on gynecology), one week at St. Peter's Hospital, and the final week is spent in introduction to ultrasound, the high risk service, and the continuity clinic.
General Considerations
Via lectures, informal discussions and by example the R1 is introduced to dealing with the health care system and learn how to deal with the stresses new to their transition from student to practicing physician
Ambulatory Health Care
The R1 spends ½ day per week at the Women’s Health Center of Albany Med learning prenatal care and basic gynecology. The R1 also covers the Emergency Department learning to treat common emergencies on an ambulatory basis for gynecology. The R1 is also the primary resident in Triage on Labor and Delivery where a significant amount of ambulatory care is given to obstetrical patients.
Obstetrics (Albany Medical Center, St. Peter’s Hospital)
The major task of the R1 in obstetrics is to master normal prenatal, intrapartum and postpartum care. Experience in prenatal care is obtained in the Continuity Clinic. Assignment to Labor and Delivery centers on normal deliveries. The R1 is introduced to caring for obstetrical complications while assisting more senior residents. Less complicated cesarean sections are done with the attending. The resident spends two weeks on an ultrasound rotation to learn the basics of obstetrical and gynecologic ultrasound.
Gynecology (Albany Medical Center, St. Peter’s Hospital)
In addition to primary coverage as the consultant in the Emergency Department, the R1 assists senior residents in caring for inpatients and surgical patients. The R1 performs simpler procedures and assists at more complicated operations. Types of operations include tubal ligation (post-partum and laparoscopy), diagnostic laparoscopies, hysteroscopies, D&Cs, etc.
Ultrasound
The R1 spends a four week rotation in which s/he performs a large volume of ultrasound procedures in obstetrics and gynecology. The R1 becomes proficient in basic skills such as dating of the pregnancy, presentation, location of placenta, biophysical profile, basic gynecologic findings, etc.
Surgical Intensive Care Unit
The R1 spends a month in the SICU where she helps care for critically ill surgical patients. The R1 will attend the lecture course in presented by the intensive care unit faculty.
Emergency Room
The R1 cares for a wide variety of primary care, urgent, and emergent problems in a busy general emergency room for one month.
Medicine
The R1 spends two months on the general internal medicine service caring for a large variety of hospitalized patients.
Second Year
General Considerations
Continues the same objectives as the R1 year.
Ambulatory Health Care
The R2 Continuity Clinic panel includes prenatal patients, family planning, annual examinations and low complexity gynecologic patients. The number of patients seen in the Continuity Clinic increases as does the complexity of problems.
Obstetrics (Albany Medical Center, St. Peter’s)
The R2 cares for a wide range of obstetrical and medicine co-morbidities under more senior residents. On Labor and Delivery the R2 cares for complicated patients in conjunction with senior residents. More complicated cesarean section and operative vaginal deliveries expand the R2’s procedure list.
Gynecology
More responsibility is taken by teaching and supervising R1s in the Emergency Department and on the inpatient service. The R2 performs more complicated surgical procedures, particularly operative laparoscopy, operative hysteroscopy and less complicated abdominal and vaginal procedures.
Reproductive Endocrinology
The R2 is exposed to problems common to general practice such as anovulation, hirsuitism, and bleeding irregularities during the rotation at CNY Fertility Center, Latham. The diagnosis and treatment of infertility are taught both from the generalist standpoint and exposure to advanced reproductive technologies including advanced ovulation induction and IVF. The resident accompanies the reproductive endocrinologist and assists reproductive surgical cases.
High Risk Obstetrics
The R2 spends one month on this service. Under the supervision of the attendings of the maternal fetal medicine division and senior residents the resident cares for a wide variety of obstetrical problems and medical and surgical co-morbidities. The resident also spends one half day per week in the High Risk Clinic at Albany Medical Center. Ultrasound technique and diagnosis is advanced through observation and supervised performance of more complicated ultrasound examinations.
Third Year
General Considerations
Continues the same objectives as the R1 year.
Ambulatory Health Care
The case list of patients cared for in the Continuity Clinic begins to be concentrated in gynecologic cases with increasing complexity. Routine care of obstetrical and family planning patients becomes a smaller portion of the panel.
Obstetrics
The R3 may act as the senior resident on Labor and Delivery managing the most difficult patients and supervising the care of junior residents. Procedures are expanded to include difficult cesarean sections, more complicated operative vaginal deliveries and vaginal breach deliveries.
High Risk Obstetrics
The R3 spends two months on this service. Under the supervision of the attendings of the maternal fetal medicine division the resident cares for a wide variety of obstetrical problems and medical and surgical co-morbidities. The senior resident has increased responsibility compared to the R2 rotation. The resident also spends one half day per week in the High Risk Clinic at Albany Medical Center. Ultrasound technique and diagnosis is advanced through observation and supervised performance of more complicated ultrasound examinations.
Gynecology
The R3 is expected to be a major part of the decision making process in conjunction with the Chief Resident in the preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative areas. Abdominal procedures, advanced laparoscopic procedures and easier vaginal procedures are performed at this level. The actual procedures done are variable depending on the needs of the Chief Resident.
Oncology
The R3 rotates with Women’s Cancer Care Associates, LLC learning the diagnosis and treatment of gynecologic cancer. The resident sees patients in the outpatient office and scrubs on a wide variety of oncology surgeries. The resident participates with the postoperative care of complicated patients and participates in the provision of chemotherapy and care for the complications.
Urogynecology
This rotation is done in a private practice that is composed of a gynecologist and several urologists. The resident sees patient in the office that also includes experience in urodynamics and IVP. The resident performs a wide variety of procedures in pelvic reconstruction and in the treatment of urinary and rectal incontinence.
Chief Year
General Considerations
Continues the same objectives as the R1 year. The evaluation of job opportunities is an important part of the Chief year.
Ambulatory Health Care
The care of the most complicated gynecological patients and preoperative evaluation through the Continuity Clinic allow the Chief Resident to make decisions on the provision of surgical care in conjunction with the attending physician. While patients who have been in their panel for four years are cared for in routine obstetrical, gynecologic, and family planning needs, these patients become a lesser proportion of the patients seen.
Obstetrics
The Chief Resident is responsible for Labor and Delivery and the postpartum floors. The Chief spends most of her time in supervision of junior residents, and teaching the more basic procedures. The Chief will scrub for the most complicated procedures such as cesarean hysterectomy. The Chief also is involved in the High Risk Obstetric service supervising the R3 who is the primary resident on that service.
Gynecology
The Chief Resident is responsible for the service including preoperative clinics, postoperative care and assigns residents to surgical procedures. The Chief performs the most complicated cases and supervises junior residents in simpler cases. The Chief is expected to ensure that her case list is adequate.
Oncology
The Chief resident builds on the knowledge and experience gained during the R3 rotation.
Urogynecology
The R4 builds on his/her experience obtained as an R3 and performs the most challenging pelvic reconstruction operations.
Elective
The Chief resident can choose more experience in areas where she is either interested or feels extra training. Examples would be urogynecology, ultrasound, or laparoscopic surgery for which opportunities are available in town or in remote settings.
