Curriculum and Divisions

The Division of Gynecology at Carolinas Medical Center is focused on educating residents and medical students in ambulatory and surgical gynecology. The Division is composed of five general obstetrician/gynecologists and one urogynecologist. The division is involved in resident education across the entire spectrum from the operating room, to the ambulatory clinic, to labor and delivery and into the classroom. While maintaining broad skills, each of the division members have special expertise in several niche areas such as urogynecology, laparoscopy, pediatric and adolescent gynecology and gynecologic ultrasound.

It is our goal to provide our residents with exposure and experience in all facets of benign gynecology. Our ambulatory gynecology clinics, which evaluate over 5,500 patients each year, provide experience in management of conditions such as contraception, sexually transmitted infections, abnormal uterine bleeding, vaginal infections and adnexal masses. In the operating room, we strive to give the resident a strong foundation of good surgical skills and habits from which to expand. We provide experience in all forms of vaginal, abdominal, laparoscopic and hysteroscopic surgery. This experience is enhanced through the ability to work with local private physicians in caring for their gynecologic patients.

The gynecology team consists of a PGY-2, PGY-3, and PGY-4 resident. The PGY-2 resident is responsible for inpatient care, emergency department and in-house consultations, assists with major procedures, and performs most outpatient procedures such as tubal ligation, dilation and curettage and operative hysteroscopy. The PGY-3 and PGY-4 residents divide their rotation between benign gynecology and urogynecology. The benign gynecology senior resident is responsible for all inpatient care and performs all major procedures. This resident is also responsible for supervision of the gynecology team. The urogynecology resident works with our urogynecologist within the department as well as a urologist who specializes in women's care.

Urogynecology/Laparoscopy Advanced Pelvic Surgery Experience

The first year urogynecology experience within the general gynecology rotation includes an introduction to the anatomy of pelvic support and continence, staging of prolapse with the POP-Q system and urodynamic testing and pelvic physiotherapy. More extensive and in-depth training in urogynecology takes place during the PGY-3 and PGY-4 years. During each month rotation, the resident participates in a weekly urogynecology clinic evaluating patients with prolapse symptoms and urinary incontinence. Instruction is given in pessary fitting, cystometry and interpretation of multichannel urodynamics. A month rotation exposes residents to both the ambulatory and operative settings, with operative experience in suburethral sling placement TOT/TVT, laparoscopic pelvic reconstruction, abdominal pelvic reconstruction and vagina obliterative procedures.

Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine

The responsibility for the education and supervision of residents and medical students for the Obstetrics and High Risk Obstetrics is shared between the Generalists faculty and the Maternal Fetal Medicine Division (currently eight members). Carolinas Medical Center has approximately 7,000 deliveries per year and serves as the tertiary referral center for nine surrounding counties. Thus, the obstetric experience is extensive and robust.

During the first year, residents are trained in prenatal care, routine labor and delivery (five months) and have an ultrasound rotation that introduces them to obstetrical and gynecological ultrasound. The second year experience includes an ultrasound rotation with more extensive exposure to prenatal diagnosis and genetic issues as well as more advanced gynecological scans. The second year obstetrical resident also participates in the Diabetic and High Risk Obstetric Clinics and obtains extensive experience in labor management and operative obstetrics. The third and fourth years concentrate on inpatient and outpatient High Risk Obstetrics. A Maternal-Fetal Medicine physician supervises and is on call for the High Risk Obstetric Service, 24 hours per day, seven days per week. The Generalists and Maternal-Fetal Medicine Divisions are committed to the superior education and training for our obstetric residents.

Division of Gynecologic Oncology

The Division of Gynecologic Oncology is composed of five board certified gynecologic oncologists. Currently, our faculty members evaluate approximately 600 new patients and perform over 400 surgeries. The number of laparoscopic surgeries has markedly increased in the last four years. We perform a variety of laparoscopic and robotic cases including hysterectomy, retroperitoneal lymph node dissection, ovarian cancer staging, and removal of adnexal masses. The residents actively participate in all surgical cases.

We are members of the Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG) enrolling patients in clinical trials. This affords our patients the latest therapies for their gynecologic malignancies. Our inpatient service averages 10-12 patients. The residents participate in managing all hospitalized patients with daily rounds with one of the attending physician.

Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility

The Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility (REI) within the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Carolinas Medical Center is dedicated to the highest quality training of OB/GYN residents through interaction within a full-service REI clinical practice, formal didactic instruction and clinical and basic research. The Division is comprised of five subspecialty board-certified REI physicians. Residents are involved with patients representing a wide spectrum of disorders including gynecologic endocrinopathies, abnormalities of sexual development, infertility, recurrent pregnancy loss, genetic reproductive failure and problems in menopausal medicine. Residents in OB/GYN are expected to have thorough training in the selection and preparation of patients for in-vitro fertilization and to be familiar with advanced reproductive procedures through our Program for Assisted Reproduction. This experience will provide clinically applicable knowledge in gamete development, embryology and the physiology of the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis.

Our philosophy is that many fundamental clinical concepts involved in gynecology, early pregnancy and office practice require a thorough understanding of REI. The REI faculty is therefore also involved in teaching and consultation for cases of amenorrhea, abnormal uterine bleeding, endometriosis and advanced endoscopic procedures. REI and Gynecology faculty have developed formal didactic and laboratory instruction in a resident endoscopic teaching course.

The formal REI resident rotation occurs during 2 months period in the third year of residency training. An individual resident will be involved in the evaluation and management of private patients referred to REI faculty and will have primary clinical responsibility in their own REI staff clinic with one-on-one faculty supervision. Residents will obtain direct experience in ultrasound and hormonal monitoring for cycles of ovulation induction, saline instillation sonography, hysterosalpingography, and intrauterine inseminations. Residents will participate in a broad range of both outpatient and inpatient surgeries related to REI. Time is allowed for directed reading for preparation of REI lectures for resident teaching conferences. For those residents seeking to pursue fellowship in REI, additional clinical experience and involvement in available active clinical and basic research projects is encouraged.

Minimally Invasive Surgical Training

A curriculum has been developed to assist residents in developing a solid foundation in minimally invasive surgical techniques. Formal didactic sessions combined with a skill labs occur four times/year. An animal lab is conducted yearly to assess the resident's skill level.

The Carolinas Simulation Center is now available to assist with surgical training. Residents are required to become proficient in eight tasks on the virtual reality trainer and seven tasks on the surgical box trainer. These tasks have assisted residents in improving their hand-eye coordination.

Recently, a birthing simulator was added to the Simulation Center. This simulator will allow residents and students to learn the basics of vaginal delivery and operative delivery with forceps or the vacuum. The simulators reproduce different clinical fetal heart rate issues that allow the residents to formulate treatment plans.

The experience in laparoscopic surgery for our residents had significantly increased in the last five years. Graduates average 120 operative laparoscopies. Residents can expect to participate in 50-60 laparoscopic hysterectomies. Participation in robotic surgery was initiated in 2007.

Laborist Program

In 2007-2008, the department initiated its Laborist Program. Laborists function in a similar fashion to the Internal Medicine Hospitalists; ensuring consistent and continuous 24-hour coverage of Labor and Delivery. Benefits of the laborist program as demonstrated in other facilities include improved patient safety, increased patient and physician satisfaction, improved residency education and decreased malpractice claims.

Emergency Medicine

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General Practice Residency and Oral Medicine Programs

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Internal Medicine

Obstetrics and Gynecology

Curriculum and Divisions