Introduction

The medical care of the obstetric patient is a rewarding and stimulating field of internal medicine that is becoming increasingly important as women delay childbearing and more women with medical problems become pregnant. However, training in internal medicine rarely includes significant exposure to pregnant patients. As a result, most internists are ill-prepared to evaluate and manage medical problems in patients who are pregnant or contemplating pregnancy, nor are they familiar with the future health risks portended by pregnancy complications. The Division of Obstetric and Consultative Medicine, Department of Medicine, Women & Infants Hospital and the Warren Alpert School of Medicine of Brown University have responded to this need since 1992 by offering the first and only Obstetric Medicine Fellowship in the United States.

Description

The Obstetric Medicine Fellowship is designed to provide the board-eligible or board-certified internist specialized training in the clinical care, teaching, and research of medical complications of pregnancy. The fellowship draws on the many talents of the Obstetric Medicine division's uniquely qualified internists, the faculty of the Maternal-Fetal Medicine division, and the Warren Alpert School of Medicine of Brown University OB/GYN programs to provide fellows with a stimulating, two-year experience in obstetric medicine.

There are 7 obstetric medicine attending physicians training and supervising fellows. In addition, there is the opportunity to learn from and work on site with full time gastroenterology and behavioral health staff with special focus on pregnancy related illness. This includes the unique Day Hospital program that treats pregnant and postpartum women who are suffering from mood disorders. Also available are the full clinical services of Rhode Island Hospital.

Fellows work in both the inpatient and outpatient settings on the Medicine Consultation Service at Women and Infants Hospital to

• acquire knowledge in the physiology of normal pregnancy and the pathophysiology of diseases occurring in pregnancy and postpartum;
• learn to diagnose and treat medical complications of pregnancy;
• learn to be an effective consultant to obstetricians and gynecologists and other internists and subspecialists;
• develop practical teaching skills through the supervision of senior medical residents and medical students.

Fellows also participate in research and will complete a research project in the area of medical problems in pregnancy. With the assistance of a faculty advisor, it is expected that the work will be presented at a national meeting and published in a peer review journal.

There are regularly scheduled learning opportunities through:

• a weekly fellows lecture series
• fellows case presentations
• fellows research meetings
• journal club
• Rhode Island Hospital grand rounds
• OB/GYN grand rounds
• medical and sub specialty consultation clinics
• opportunities to enroll in Brown University courses in biostatistics and epidemiology
• attendance at national meetings including the Society of Obstetric Medicine, American College of Physicians, Society of Perinatal Obstetricians and the Society of General Internal Medicine.

Background

Women & Infants Hospital, a Care New England hospital, is a major teaching hospital affiliated with the Warren Alpert School of Medicine of Brown University. Women & Infants is dedicated to health care for women and infants, and is committed to the training of medical students, residents and fellows. With 137 beds, Women & Infants Hospital is the 7th largest obstetrical service in the country and the busiest in New England. In 2008 over 9,100 deliveries were recorded, of which approximately 14% were classified as high risk. The Women's Center for Primary Care is the site of comprehensive primary and specialized care services for women. In combination with the Division of Ambulatory Care's urgent care services, the Center sees approximately 40,000 patients annually.

Women & Infants Hospital is situated on the campus of Rhode Island Hospital, and together the two hospitals form the largest tertiary care referral center in Rhode Island and southeastern New England. It is the site of the only obstetrics and gynecology residency in the state, as well as OB/GYN fellowships approved by American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology in maternal fetal medicine, gynecologic oncology, and female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery. Also offered are fellowships in breast disease, pediatric pathology, neonatal perinatal medicine, research and epidemiology and reproductive endocrinology and infertility.

Application

To begin the application process:

• Click here to download a PDF version of our Fellowship Application

• Print the application form and complete it in its entirety. Please be sure to include your home phone number, pager number or cell phone number.

• Include your current curriculum vitae and a personal statement (not to exceed one typed page).

• Submit the application via US Postal Service or any overnight delivery service to the Program Director, Dr. Lucia Larson, at Women & Infants Hospital. (Your application should not be sent via e-mail as your signature is required.).

• Three professional letters of reference should be sent to the Director under separate cover.

Successful Fellow candidates will demonstrate evidence of promise as a clinician, an educator and independent investigator in the area of consultative and obstetric medicine. All applications will be reviewed and all candidates will be notified regarding their suitability for an interview with the Obstetric Medicine team.

For More Information

For further information regarding the fellowship in Obstetric Medicine, contact:

Lucia Larson, M.D., Director
Division of Obstetric & Consultative Medicine
Department of Medicine
Women & Infants Hospital
101 Dudley Street
Providence, RI 02905
(401) 274-1122, Extension 1925
E-mail: LLarson@carene.org