Curriculum
Vision
Our vision is to alleviate the OBGYN workforce shortage by increasing the number of FM OB-certified family practitioners, particularly in underserved and rural areas. By promoting a collaborative and cost-effective approach to maternity care, we aim to ensure that no woman is left without access to high-quality maternal healthcare.
Mission
As the MWHC Family Medicine/Obstetrics Fellowship Program, our mission is to train family medicine practitioners through a one-year fellowship that enables them to provide comprehensive care for women, with a particular emphasis on maternity care and reproductive health in the greater Fredericksburg area, across Virginia, and at the national level. Our program is designed to equip fellows with the clinical, educational, and leadership skills necessary for independent practice in family medicine, obstetrics, and women’s health. Fellows will gain extensive experience in the management of both low- and high-risk pregnancies, as well as surgical obstetric training.
Who Will Train the FM OB Fellows?
The fellowship will feature a multidisciplinary training approach, with fellows working under the supervision of a diverse team of experts, including:
- FM-OB and FM-OB surgical attendings
- OB/GYN specialists
- Maternal-Fetal Medicine (MFM) specialists
Training Achievements for the Fellows
Fellows will gain comprehensive obstetric and surgical experience through participation in:
- Labor & delivery care, including both routine and high-risk obstetrics
- Gaining expertise in Obstetric Ultrasound skills
- Operative obstetrics, such as cesarean sections and postpartum tubal ligations
- Inpatient and outpatient OB management
Gynecologic Training Component:
In addition to obstetrics, fellows will have opportunity to gain hands-on experience in a variety of gynecologic procedures, including:
- Dilation & Curettage (D&C)
- Colposcopy
- Endometrial biopsy
- Contraception management (including LARCs)
- LEEP (Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure)
- Postpartum tubal ligations
Continuous FM Training Component:
Fellows will continue practicing family medicine in the residency clinic, supervising and teaching Family Medicine residents, which will foster their leadership and educational skills.
There is also an opportunity to work in inpatient services with FM attendings.
Educational and Research Component
The fellowship offers robust educational opportunities, including:
- Participation in structured didactic sessions
- Engagement in research or quality improvement projects
- Contribution to multidisciplinary team discussions and case reviews
Commitment to Underserved and Rural Healthcare:
A core commitment of the fellowship program is to expand access to maternal and reproductive healthcare in medically underserved areas. Fellows will be trained to become versatile FM-OB physicians who can provide full-spectrum maternity care in diverse practice settings.
Daily Responsibilities:
- Pre-round on L+D board and see assigned patients.
- Scrub in on c-sections; these take precedence over rounds.
- Maintain presence on L+D to be available for complex labors/ instrumented deliveries, shoulder dystocia, post-partum hemorrhage.
- Be involved in D&Cs and ectopics (per attending preference).
- Evaluate patients in triage and precept the plan with the OB/FM OB provider on shift.
- Arrive at 8:00 a.m. for sign-out. We will discuss all the laboring patients as well as any planned cesareans or external cephalic versions.
- We will delegate assisting/ surgical roles for the planned cesarean sections.
- Plan to follow all OBGYN and Family Medicine patients who are in labor or are being induced.
- Be ready to work with Maternal Fetal Medicine on any admitted patients requiring consult.
- You will do postpartum rounds on patients in MBU depending on the work share on each day while prioritizing the continuity of care.