Graduate Medical Education

Curriculum

Obstetrics and Gynecology
  • The PGY-1 year introduces the first-year resident to the basics of Obstetrics and Gynecology. In labor and delivery, the intern manages laboring patients and performs vaginal and cesarean births for patients from all St. Luke’s affiliated practices. Our interns become proficient in evaluation of obstetric complaints during their time in triage. In the clinic and on L&D the resident performs vaginal and abdominal ultrasounds and must pass an oral exam with an MFM attending. In gynecologic surgery, the resident develops technical skills in hysteroscopy, endometrial ablation, laparoscopic tubal ligation, and other basic procedures. Residents are introduced to the Gynecologic Oncology service during the second half of their intern year. They have an opportunity to care for oncology patients on the floor and learn preoperative and postoperative care from the gyn onc attendings during their office hours. Interns also start to go to the operating room to learn about the surgical management of oncology patients.

    Curriculum

    At the Allentown campus, the first-year resident has a more diverse role, moving freely between the OR and L&D. This freedom often makes the Allentown rotation a resident favorite, because it mimics the diversity that many residents look forward to in their future careers. We have a newly designated Family Planning member of the Allentown team, they participate in our complex contraception clinic, work through fundamental Ryan modules, and manage the FP related procedures. Every resident has continuity clinic where they have an opportunity to establish and follow their own cohort of patients starting as PGY1. The surgical ICU rotation at Bethlehem allows interns to become familiar with critical care issues in the ICU, connect with some of the other residents in the hospital, and helps prepare them for managing complicated patients particularly on our gyn onc rotations. Our interns average two calls per month.


    Specialty Number of Weeks
    Labor and Delivery (Anderson Campus) 12-16
    Night Float 8-12
    Ob/Gyn (Allentown Campus)
    (4 of these weeks are designated as Family Planning)
    12-16
    Gynecologic Surgery 8-12
    Gyn Oncology 4-8
    ICU 4

  • PGY-2 is a time to further develop one's obstetrical skills, such as complex repeat Cesarean sections and operative vaginal deliveries. The PGY-2 resident also becomes a mentor for the first-year residents, especially on labor and delivery. In Allentown, the PGY-2 resident takes on increasing responsibility in the OR and L&D. The night float rotation is an opportunity to manage the service more independently at Allentown. The skills learned on night float are an important building block to get the PGY-2 ready for their senior rotations at the higher acuity Anderson unit. During this year, the resident is exposed to more complex surgeries in the operating room during their gyn onc and benign gynecology rotations. They have the opportunity to perform more complex laparoscopic procedures as well as laparotomies and various other surgeries. On REI, the resident works in a busy practice which includes a private REI lab and performs surgery with the REI faculty. Finally, we have a designated research month which allows our residents concentrated time for data collection to ensure that a meaningful research project can be completed during their residency. Some of our residents have used this to take advantage of international research opportunities. For more information on the research requirement, please visit our section on Research and Publications. Our PGY-2 residents average two calls per month.

    Curriculum


    Specialty Number of Weeks
    Labor and Delivery (Anderson Campus) 8-12
    Night Float (Allentown) 8-12
    Ob/Gyn (Allentown Campus) 8-12
    Gynecologic Surgery 8-12
    Oncology 8-12
    Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility 4
    Research (including international opportunities) 4

  • PGY-3 is devoted to the sub-specialty services of OB/GYN. On MFM, the resident learns to perform amniocentesis and complex ultrasounds including Doppler studies in addition to caring for high-risk patients in clinic and on the floor. On Gynecologic Oncology, the resident spends more time in the OR performing and assisting with pelvic dissection by laparotomy, laparoscopy and the robotic approach. Our Urogynecology rotation is well-known as a strong component of the residency program. The resident learns both medical and surgical management of incontinence and pelvic floor relaxation disorders and graduates with confidence in performing cystoscopy and many types of urogynecologic procedures. They return to REI for another four-week rotation to build on what they already learned during their PGY-2 year. The PGY-3 residents have an opportunity to rotate at a private facility in the area that provides family planning and abortion services. They have weekly complex contraception clinic in addition to educational sessions with our designated faculty member during this rotation.  Our PGY-3 residents average two calls per month.

    Curriculum


    Specialty Number of Weeks
    Night Float 4-8
    Ob/Gyn (Allentown Campus including Allentown Clinic) 8-12
    REI 4
    Urogynecology 8
    Oncology 8-12
    MFM 8-12
    Family Planning 4

  • PGY-4 is a time to take on a more supervisory role. Whether in L&D, clinic, or gynecologic surgery service, the chief resident oversees and directs the day-to- day operations of these areas. During the clinic rotation, chief residents are able to take ownership of the care of the most complex patients at the Star Community Health clinic and can book surgical cases that the gyn team will then perform. They also act as mentor to the junior residents in continuity clinic. In the OR, the resident hones his or her technical skills in minimally invasive surgery, including laparoscopic and robotic hysterectomies and complex pelvic dissections. Residents train with traditional laparoscopic instruments and with the da Vinci® Surgical System. Over 85 percent of our hysterectomies are performed either vaginally, robotically or laparoscopically. An office-based rotation helps to prepare the resident for private practice, allowing them to see patients with attendings at one of our affiliated practices. This rotation is a glimpse of what their days will look like after graduation, if they choose to become a generalist, and an opportunity for them to improve their billing and coding skills. The Monroe rotation is a unique opportunity to rotate in one of our practices in the Poconos. The residents spend four weeks helping to cover complex gynecologic surgery intermixed with ER and hospital consults and office practice. This rotation is part of the final preparation for our chief residents before heading into practice. A four-week float rotation can be used to participate in our international experiences. Our PGY-4 residents average two calls per month.

    Curriculum


    Specialty Number of Weeks
    Night Float 4
    Clinic 8-12
    Gynecologic Surgery 8-12
    Ob/Gyn (Allentown Campus) 8-12
    Labor and Delivery (Anderson Campus) 8-12
    Float/International elective 0-4
    Office 4
    Monroe 4-8
    Gynecologic Oncology 4