Obstetrics & Gynecology at San Francisco

Obstetrics & Gynecology - Educational Goals

The OB-GYN Residency Program at Kaiser Permanente, San Francisco, provides a structured educational experience designed to prepare the graduating resident equally well for the independent general practice of obstetrics and gynecology or for further subspecialty training, as well as to serve as consultants to non-obstetrician-gynecologist health care providers. The overall educational objectives of the program broadly fall under the following core competencies set forth by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).

A. Patient Care: The graduating resident will have demonstrated the cognitive, technical and surgical skills needed to function independently as a primary physician for women and as a specialist in the medical, surgical and behavioral management of obstetrical and gynecologic conditions. These skills include the ability to perform a complete and accurate medical history and physical exam, to use appropriate laboratory and imaging data to arrive at an informed diagnosis, to make evidence-based treatment decisions, and to implement effective patient management plans.

B. Medical Knowledge: At the end of training, residents will have mastered the cognitive skills needed to pass the written exam of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ABOG). The graduating resident will have demonstrated a sound understanding of the basic science, biomedical, and clinical background of gynecologic and reproductive medicine as well as the ability to apply this knowledge, using critical and analytic thinking, to the clinical care of patients.

C. Interpersonal and Communication Skills: The graduating resident will have consistently demonstrated effective information exchange with patients and the ability to communicate with them and their families in a manner that is appropriate to their age, education, culture, and socioeconomic background. Clear verbal and written communication with other health care professionals, the ability to serve them as a consultant and the capacity to work as a member of a professional team are essential skills that our residents will master.

D. Professionalism: A commitment to carrying out professional responsibilities, adherence to ethical principles, and sensitivity to a diverse population will be the hallmark of our graduating residents. The resident will demonstrate accountability to patients, society and the profession through uncompromised honesty, habits of punctuality, and a work ethic characterized by a high level of efficiency and initiative.

E. Practice-Based Learning and Improvement: The graduating resident will be able to use scientific evidence and methods to investigate, evaluate, and improve their patient care practices. The ability to analyze personal practice, use information technology to gather and manage information, assimilate evidence from scientific studies related to their patients’ health, and then implement strategies to improve the quality of their patient care are essential skills and attitudes necessary for life-long learning that residents will acquire.

F. Systems-Based Practice: The graduating resident will have demonstrated an understanding of the responsibility of the physician to the individual patient, the practice, and the overall health care system, as well as the ability to effectively call on system resources to provide care that is of optimal value.

Obstetrics & Gynecology - Curriculum

Grand Rounds

Our program provides an active academic teaching curriculum. Staff and residents meet for Grand Rounds every Tuesday morning at 8 a.m. These meetings include:

• A perinatal teaching conference
• A monthly review of gynecologic morbidity/mortality
• A monthly review of obstetrical morbidity/mortality
• Conferences conducted by visiting professors

Didactic Resident Teaching

Tuesday mornings are also devoted to didactic resident teaching from 9:30am to 11:30am. During this time, extra staff physicians are assigned hospital duty, allowing the residents to be available for their educational sessions conducted by our REI, MFM, and Gyn Oncology specialists.

On Thursdays at 7:30am, the Program Director meets with the residents who present topics in:

• Obstetrics
• Gynecology
• Endocrinology
• Pelvic Anatomy
• Genetics
• Ethics