in Obstetrics and Women's Health

Introduction
The University of Alabama School of Medicine Huntsville Regional Medical Campus Department of Ob/Gyn offers a one-year Fellowship in Obstetrics and Women's Health. The purpose of this fellowship is to provide advanced training and experience for the family physician who desires a broader base of knowledge, experience and skills than is provided in traditional family practice residency training in order to maintain an obstetrical and women's health portion of their practice.

Curriculum
The fellowship is one year in duration. During this period, the fellow will function as a junior faculty member with appropriate teaching opportunities medical students and residents. While three-fourths of the program will be devoted to OB and women's health, the fellow will spend one day of each week in Family Medicine Clinic in order to keep current with family medicine clinic skills. In accordance with the needs of the individual fellow, the acquisition of knowledge, skills and attitudes should occur during all curriculum elements. A curriculum specific for each individual fellow will be developed in conjunction with the Program Directors.

The curriculum elements of Fellowship in Obstetrics and Women's Health include:

• Routine obstetrical care
• Uncomplicated pregnancy with/without the uses of vacuums/forceps
• Minor gynecological surgery
• Infertility evaluation
• Sexual function disorders
• Primary genetic counseling
• Teaching
• Working with physician extenders
• Osteoporosis evaluation
• Cardiovascular risk factors evaluation in the post-menopausal female

Full time OB faculty will directly supervise all designated by the program. There are currently 3 full-time OB/GYN faculty members, and numerous community OB/GYN physicians with whom the fellow may work at times.

Specific Objectives
OB Objectives:

• Learn techniques for management of routine and operative vaginal delivery (including low outlet forceps and vacuum extraction) as well as complications of vaginal delivery (including dystocia, vaginal and cervical lacerations, and postpartum hemorrhage).
• Diagnose, manage and/or referral of high-risk pregnancies (PIH, preclampsia, eclampsia, gestational diabetes, etc.).
• Diagnose, manage and/or referral of non-pregnancy illness affecting pregnancy (thyroid problems, connective tissue diseases, pulmonary problems, etc.).
• Gain clinical competence at performing low transverse and vertical cesarean sections and understand the indications for each.
• Develop an ability and strategy for managing complications of cesarean section including, but not limited to, simple bladder injuries and incisional extensions.
• Learn techniques for postpartum tubal ligations as well as risks and benefits.
• Learn basic techniques for routine ultrasound scanning including biometry and biophysical assessment. Advanced training in OB ultrasound is provided via local perineonatology.
• Develop an understanding for methods of intrapartum fetal evaluation.

GYN Objectives:

• Gain competency in evaluation and management of common ambulatory gynecologic problems including vaginitis, menstrual disorders, menopause, post-menopausal bleeding, osteoporosis, basic infertility, contraception, pelvis pain and sexual dysfunction.
• Gain competence in minor GYN procedures including D&C, colposcopy, endometrial biopsy, ultrasounds, treatment of Bartholin's gland abscess, cryocautery, LLETZ/LEEP.
• Develop an ability to diagnose and medically manage ectopic pregnancies.
• Develop an ability to diagnose and medically manage pelvic infection.

Responsibilities
OB Responsibilities:

• Clinic attendance (new, routine and high-risk OB).
• Call per designated by the Co-Directors.
• Act as a consultant to the resident service.
• Once clinical competence is demonstrated, supervise residents in the delivery room for vaginal delivery and episiotomy repair.

GYN Responsibilities:

• Clinic attendance (routine GYN, Colposcopy and Tumor Clinic)
• Act as a consultant to the family medicine resident on the gynecology service each month in managing gynecological problems for inpatients and emergency room patients.

Facilities

• UAB Health Center
  
• Huntsville Hospital's Women's & Children's Hospital

Benefits

• Stipend at the junior faculty member position
• ALSO Course allowance
• 15 vacation days
• 10 sick leave days
• Moving expense reimbursement
• CME reimbursement
• Health and disability insurance

Eligibility and Requirements
1. Applicants must be graduates of accredited family practice residency programs (Allopathic or Osteopathic).
2. Applicants must be board certified or board eligible in Family Practice.
3. Applicants will be required to obtain medical licensure in the state of Alabama and a Federal DEA certificate prior to the beginning of the fellowship. (The fellowship program will reimburse the accepted applicant for expenses related to licensure.)
4. Applicants are required to submit:

• USMLE scores
• Curriculum vitae
• Personal statement
• Three letters of recommendation from active members of the American Academy of Family Physicians, including the program director and the faculty member/preceptor responsible for obstetrical training at the applicant's residency program.

• December 15    deadline for CV, personal statement, and all letters of recommendation
• January 30        completion of all interviews
• February 15      selection of candidate

Contact Information
James Light, MD
Director of Obstetrics Fellowship
UAB Health System--Huntsville
301 Governors Drive SW
Huntsville, AL 35801

Phone: (256) 551-4480
Fax: (256) 551-4408
Email: lightj@uasomh.uab.edu