CAPE FEAR VALLEY HEALTH / SR-AHEC OB FELLOWSHIP
This is a year-long non-ACGME Fellowship program for Family Medicine Residents at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center (Primary Site) with Southern Regional AHEC serving as an affiliate site.
Mission
To train family medicine physicians with advanced obstetric skills and comprehensive, compassionate, patient-centered maternal-child care while maintaining their foundational training in family medicine, allowing them to manage pregnancies and provide full-spectrum care in both outpatient and inpatient settings.
Overview
Our 12-month community-based fellowship will train the physician to independently evaluate normal and complicated obstetric patients, as well as manage their antepartum, labor, delivery, and post-partum care. Our fellows do not only develop significant skills in operative obstetrics and gynecologic procedures but will also have a deeper understanding of several aspects of women’s health which will cover everything from general gynecology to reproductive endocrinology. Graduates of our fellowship are uniquely suited to a wide range of career paths from teaching faculty to practicing rural medicine.
Our fellows will spend a majority of their time on labor and delivery and outpatient obstetric ang gynecologic care and procedures at Cape Fear Valley Health. In addition, our fellows have junior faculty positions within our Family Medicine residency program and have weekly half-day clinics in our Family Medicine office to help maintain their skills.
Our patient population has a wide range of complex cases due to being both a catchment area for the surrounding counties, the diverse military population of Fort Liberty, and the underserved local population.
Eligibility
Eligible candidates will have completed a 3-year ACGME family medicine residency and have exhibited an additional interest in obstetrics during their family medicine residency. Candidates must be board-certified or board-eligible in Family Medicine. Applicants will be required to obtain a medical licensure in the state of North Carolina and a Federal DEA certificate before the beginning of fellowship.
Applications for the following academic year are accepted from July 1 through October 1. Applications are reviewed and interviews are scheduled on a rolling basis starting in October.
Application Materials
If you are interested in applying for the Family Medicine Obstetrics Fellowship, please send the following:
- Completed application
- Three (3) letters of recommendation, including the program director and the faculty member/preceptor responsible for obstetrical training at the applicant’s residency program.
- Personal Statement
- CV
- A current photo of the applicant
- ECFMG Certificate (if applicable)
- USMLE or COMLEX transcripts (including Step/Level 3)
- Official procedure logs with all procedures, including the number of vaginal deliveries and c-sections deliveries (primary and assist)
- All ABFM In-Training Exam score reports
Selected applicants will be invited to Fayetteville, NC, for an interview (virtual interviews available on request)
Please send complete application to Reanna Benedict at [email protected] or mail to:
Cape Fear Valley Health
Graduate Medical Education
Attn: Reanna Benedict
1638 Owen Drive
Box 138
Fayetteville, NC 28304
By the end of the one-year the Fellow will be:
- Competent in holistic care of women
- Comfortable with medical, psychological and social issues unique to the care of women
- Competent in gynecologic procedures including colposcopy (cervix/vagina/vulva), cryosurgery of the cervix, LEEP procedures and office diagnostic hysteroscopy
- Competent in low-risk obstetrical care
- Competent in evaluation of pediatric gynecologic disorders
- Competent in family planning, including diaphragm fitting and IUD insertion/removal
- Exposure to pelvic organ prolapse/incontinence management including non-surgical treatments (pessaries)
- Optional increased exposure to high-risk obstetrics and/or operative vaginal deliveries
- Optional experience in child sexual abuse clinic
- Continued longitudinal family medicine
- Competent in basic obstetrical ultrasound
- Elective rotations to increase awareness in personal interest areas (e.g. reproductive endocrinology, breast health, mental health, etc)
- Completion of a scholarly project/QI Project of your choosing
- Competence in teaching issues of Women’s Health to Family Medicine resident
- Faculty development opportunities including teaching Advanced Life Support in Obstetrics
- Clinical Rotations:
- Obstetrics and Labor & Delivery 5 BLOCKS
- Manage laboring patients, including high-risk cases.
- Perform and assist with vaginal deliveries and cesarean sections.
- Conduct prenatal, intrapartum, and postnatal care.
- Rotate with OB/GYNs and family medicine obstetricians.
- Provide ER coverage
- OB Triage
- Maternal-Fetal Medicine 1 BLOCK
- Exposure to the management of high-risk pregnancies.
- Develop skills in advanced fetal monitoring and ultrasound interpretation.
- Care for patients with complications such as preeclampsia, multiple gestations, and gestational diabetes.
- Neonatology 1 BLOCK
- Participate in the care of newborns, including those in the NICU.
- Engage in neonatal resuscitations and immediate newborn care.
- Develop proficiency in newborn assessment and stabilization.
- Gynecology 1 BLOCK
- Exposure to outpatient gynecology, including procedures such as IUD insertion, colposcopy, and endometrial biopsy.
- Participate in gynecologic surgeries such as hysterectomies and laparoscopies.
- Elective 1 BLOCK
- Tailored to the fellow’s interest, which could include rural OB care, international maternal health, or additional surgical training.
- OB Continuity Clinic 2 BLOCK
- Night Float 1 BLOCK
- ED Rotation 1 BLOCK
- FM Continuity Clinics:
- Family Medicine Continuity Clinic (2 half-days per week throughout the fellowship)
- Maintain a panel of family medicine patients, including pediatric, adult, and geriatric patients.
- Provide routine primary care services such as chronic disease management, wellness visits, and preventive care.
- Emphasize continuity of care, integrating OB care within the scope of general family medicine practice.
- Didactic Education:
Weekly educational sessions focused on:
- Advanced Obstetrics: Management of high-risk pregnancies, complications in labor, operative obstetrics, and obstetric anesthesia.
- Maternal Health: Co-management of chronic conditions during pregnancy, mental health in pregnancy, and infectious diseases affecting maternal and fetal outcomes.
- Neonatal Care: In-depth training on neonatal resuscitation, newborn screening, and management of common newborn conditions.
- Ultrasound Training: Comprehensive instruction in OB ultrasound, including anatomy scans, biophysical profiles, and Doppler studies.
- Family Medicine Updates: Continuation of FM didactics on topics like preventive care, chronic disease management, and pediatric care, keeping fellows current with primary care advancements.
- Procedural Training:
- Cesarean Section: Gain proficiency as both first-assist and primary surgeon.
- Vaginal Deliveries: Competency in both spontaneous and assisted deliveries, including vacuum and forceps delivery.
- OB Ultrasound: Develop expertise in point-of-care ultrasound for fetal assessment, including biometry, amniotic fluid measurements, and Doppler studies.
- Gynecologic Procedures: Proficiency in outpatient procedures such as colposcopy, endometrial biopsy, and IUD placement.
- Longitudinal Experiences:
- Continuity of Care: Emphasizing the integration of OB care within family medicine, fellows will manage both obstetric and general primary care patients throughout the year.
- Mentorship and Supervision: Continuous feedback from FM and OB faculty on clinical and procedural skills.
- Research or Quality Improvement: Opportunity to engage in a project aimed at improving maternal health outcomes or streamlining integration of OB care in family medicine settings.
Evaluation
The oversight provided in a Family Medicine (FM) Obstetrics (OB) fellowship is comprehensive and focuses on ensuring the fellow's competency in both family medicine and advanced obstetrical care. Oversight for the program is provided through a collaborative effort between the CFV OB/GYN Department and the Family Medicine Department at SRAHEC. Key elements of this oversight include
- Clinical Supervision:
- Fellows are closely supervised by board-certified OB-GYNs and family medicine physicians with expertise in obstetrics.
- Supervision includes prenatal care, labor and delivery, postpartum care, and obstetric emergencies.
- Fellows receive hands-on training in vaginal deliveries, C-sections, and high-risk pregnancies.
- Mentorship:
- Each fellow is usually assigned a mentor who provides continuous feedback on their performance and progress.
- Mentors guide fellows in developing leadership, patient care, and surgical skills.
- Educational Oversight:
- Fellows participate in didactic sessions, case discussions, and journal clubs to enhance their medical knowledge.
- Faculty members review fellows’ case logs and ensure they meet required competencies.
- Evaluation and Feedback:
- Regular performance evaluations are conducted by the fellowship program director and attending physicians.
- Constructive feedback is provided through formal assessments, including evaluations of clinical skills, surgical techniques, and patient management.
- Patient Safety and Quality Assurance:
- Emphasis is placed on following best practices and adhering to safety protocols, especially in high-risk OB care.
- Fellows are taught to collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to ensure comprehensive care for mothers and newborns.
- Research and Scholarly Activity:
- Oversight in research projects and presentations ensures fellows are contributing to the advancement of knowledge in family medicine obstetrics.