Maternal Fetal Medicine Education Program

Clinical Experience

During fellowship, the trainee will spend 50% of his or her time on clinical service. During this time, the fellow will participate in the patient care rendered in the various ambulatory obstetrical clinics. These clinics offer exposure to genetic counseling and prenatal diagnosis; management of medically complicated pregnancies due to diabetes mellitus, chronic hypertension, thyroid and cardiac disease and other rare maternal conditions; as well as various obstetrical complications including preterm labor, fetal and placental anomalies, and multifetal gestations. In addition, a portion of the clinical service time will be spent focusing on heritable diseases and cyto-genetics. Other activities such as journal clubs and clinical conferences are detailed below.

It is imperative that all fellows obtain a practical working understanding of maternal-fetal intensive care. This requires the fellows’ active participation in clinical care in both the inpatient and outpatient settings, including night coverage. Each fellow will serve as the primary consultant to the Obstetrical Service at Women’s and Children’s Hospital of the Los Angeles County + University of Southern California Medical Center for several months during his or her training.

A significant portion of the clinical rotations will be spent at the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles / USC Institute for Maternal-Fetal Health, where fellows will actively participate in the diagnosis and management of pregnancies complicated by maternal or fetal conditions. Also during these clinical months, fellows will have the opportunity to receive training in a variety of areas including fetal and adult echocardiography, vascular laboratory, coagulation laboratory, HIV clinic, and the blood bank. Fellows will also participate in consultations along with attending perinatologists, which may include visits to private perinatology offices in the Los Angles area.

Research

Each candidate will select an area for targeted investigation. This will provide experience in research methods and analytic thought. Areas may include cellular or molecular biology, medical complications of pregnancy, and clinical genetics. Clinical trials are encouraged. Collaborative projects may be undertaken and are also encouraged, but each individual must develop a specific area in which he/she is primarily responsible. Formal presentations at national scientific meetings and publication of significant research projects are expected from each fellow. The satisfactory completion of fellowship training requires completion of an approved thesis project. Fellows will have a total of 18 months of protected research time during the 3-year program.

Summary

The intent of the educational process for fellows in Maternal-Fetal Medicine in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine is to provide the essential understanding and knowledge to render excellent maternal-fetal care, and raise the educational standards for Obstetrics in the fellow’s chosen community. In addition, it will provide opportunities for individualized academic investigations and should adequately prepare the graduate for subspecialty certification by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine. Individuals desiring additional information may inquire by contacting the Program Director.

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