Educational Goal
Our objective is to deliver a rigorous and supportive educational experience that equips residents with the clinical expertise, professional judgment, and compassionate care needed to thrive as practicing obstetrician-gynecologists. We are equally committed to fostering academic curiosity and preparing those residents who choose to pursue fellowship training for advanced roles in subspecialty practice and research.
To support this mission, we offer a well-rounded, progressively structured rotation schedule that ensures balanced and comprehensive exposure to both obstetrics and gynecology, fostering confidence across the full spectrum of care.
PGY-1
Our intern rotations are thoughtfully designed to establish a strong foundation of clinical knowledge and procedural skills. Interns complete 12 four-week blocks over the academic year, with each rotation offering progressive learning opportunities that prepare them for future responsibilities. Interns are closely supervised by senior residents, fellows, and faculty members, fostering a supportive learning environment that encourages growth, accountability, and collaboration.
| Rotations | Four Week Blocks |
|---|---|
| Gynecology | 3 |
| Obstetrics | 4 |
| Night Float | 2 |
| Gynecologic Oncology | 1 |
| Surgical Intensive Care Unit | 1 |
| Ambulatory Clinic & Ultrasound | 1 |
PGY-2
The PGY-2 year is designed to build on the foundational knowledge established during internship, with increased exposure to subspecialties and more complex patient care. Rotations introduce advanced clinical responsibilities, allowing residents to deepen diagnostic reasoning and procedural expertise.
| Rotations | Four Week Blocks |
|---|---|
| Gynecology | 2 |
| Gynecology Selective (choose from REI, Urogyn, or Benign Gyn) | 1 |
| Obstetrics | 3 |
| Night Float | 2 |
| Family Planning | 1 |
| Maternal Fetal Medicine | 1 |
| Gynecologic Oncology | 1 |
| Family Planning | 1 |
PGY-3
In their third year, residents take on expanded roles as mentors and leaders within the clinical team. They begin actively supervising and teaching junior residents, honing their skills in clinical instruction, feedback, and team coordination.
PGY-3 residents also manage increasingly complex patient cases, deepening their diagnostic acumen and enhancing their ability to integrate multidisciplinary care. An elective block during this year allows residents to pursue individualized interests. Electives residents have pursued in the past include Global Health, research, pediatric and adolescent gynecology, community obstetrics and gynecology, or other specialized training areas.
| Rotations | Four Week Blocks |
|---|---|
| Gynecology | 3 |
| Obstetrics | 3 |
| Night Float | 1 |
| Gynecologic Oncology | 1 |
| Family Planning | 1 |
| Maternal Fetal Medicine | 2 |
| Elective | 1 |
PGY-4
In the PGY-4 year, residents serve as pivotal leaders within the clinical environment, guiding residents across all training levels and mentoring medical students. As they transition into a teaching assistant role, they refine instructional and supervisory skills essential for success as future attendings. PGY-4 residents take responsibility for coordinating care of the most critically ill and complex patients, demonstrating advanced clinical judgment and interprofessional collaboration. Surgically, they perform the most challenging procedures, mastering operative technique and perioperative management under expert supervision, solidifying their readiness for independent practice.
| Rotations | Four Week Blocks |
|---|---|
| Obstetrics | 2 |
| Gynecology | 4 |
| Gynecologic Oncology | 1 |
| Night Float | 1 |
| Urogynecology | 2 |
| Ambulatory clinic | 1 |
| Elective | 1 |
Residents participate in the outpatient continuity clinic once per week during most rotations, offering them consistent exposure to the full spectrum of obstetrics and gynecology. This longitudinal experience allows residents to establish and nurture long-term relationships with their patients, providing care across a wide range of conditions. They gain valuable experience in counseling patients on both straightforward and complex evaluations and treatment plans, and they participate in planning and coordinating surgical procedures as part of comprehensive care delivery.
During multiple rotations, residents care for patients alongside faculty who provide specialized expertise across a wide range of conditions. These sessions allow concentrated exposure to outpatient gynecologic care and subspecialty services.
Examples include:
- Transgender care clinic
- Chronic pelvic pain clinic
- Colposcopy clinic
- Early pregnancy assessment clinic
- Breast clinic
Weekly Didactics
Resident didactics are held every Thursday morning from 7:30 a.m. until noon. During this protected education time, residents participate in a variety of educational conferences.
7:30-8:30 a.m.: Rotation of educational activities for the entire department including Faculty, Fellows, Residents, and Medical Students.
- Grand Rounds
- Morbidity & Mortality, occurs once a month
- Diversity, equity, and inclusion workshops, occurs quarterly
8:30-9 a.m.: Rotate weekly
- Ultrasound Rounds
- Fetal heart tracing Rounds
- Medical Student Education Feedback session
9 a.m. - noon: Two-year curriculum, addressing all educational objectives using many different modalities for sessions including:
- Case based learning
- Lectures, both faculty and resident led
- Workshops
- Journal clubs
- Simulation sessions (see below section)
- Wellness curriculum
- Research curriculum
Other Regular Didactic Sessions
- Benign gynecology Pre-Op Conference – weekly
- Maternal fetal medicine division educational conference – weekly
- Family planning division education – 2x/rotation
- Gynecologic oncology tumor board – biweekly
- Joint maternal fetal medicine and NICU conference – 3x/month
Simulation-based learning is a core component of our educational framework. We hold dedicated simulation sessions during protected didactic time throughout the academic year, providing residents with hands-on practice in a controlled, feedback-rich environment. These sessions occur approximately once per month and are designed to reinforce clinical decision-making, procedural skills, teamwork, and crisis management.
Simulation activities vary in format and scope. Some sessions focus on procedural skills using low-fidelity models, allowing residents to practice techniques and refine their approach. Others are multidisciplinary, involving collaboration with physicians from other departments, nursing staff, and allied healthcare professionals, simulating real-world clinical scenarios that emphasize communication, coordination, and teamwork. We have a state-of-the-art simulation center that we use for these simulation sessions and is also available to residents 24/7 for individual simulation practice.
These are examples of simulation sessions we hold regularly:
- Suture skills
- Cadaver lab
- Hysteroscopy
- LEEP
- Laparoscopic skills
- Sling insertion
- Cystoscopy
- Operative delivery
- Vaginal hysterectomy
- Shoulder Dystocia
- Postpartum Hemorrhage
- Eclampsia
- EMIGs Olympics
- Communication skills with standardized patients
- Legal simulations in conjunction with Albany Law School
Our wellness curriculum, led by the departmental wellness director, is thoughtfully designed to support the well-being of residents throughout their training. The program is dynamic and continuously evolves to meet the changing needs of our trainees. Key components include an annual resident retreat, wellness-focused sessions integrated into protected didactic time, and two dedicated wellness days per academic year that residents can use to rest, recharge, or attend to personal needs.
Clinical Educator Track (CET)
The Clinical Educator Track is a longitudinal experience designed for residents pursuing careers in medical education. Through focused training in clinical and didactic teaching, curriculum design, and scholarly activity, residents build essential skills to become effective educators. Upon successful completion of the track, participants graduate with a Distinction in Medical Education, highlighting their dedication to advancing academic excellence in obstetrics and gynecology.
Distinction In Quality & Leadership
Residents pursuing the Distinction in Quality & Leadership take on advanced responsibilities in healthcare improvement, systems-based practice, and team-based leadership. Through targeted mentorship and project-based work, they lead initiatives that enhance patient care and operational efficiency. Graduates emerge with proven skills in clinical excellence and organizational change, prepared to influence quality outcomes in future roles.
Masters in Bioethics
Residents have the option to pursue a Master’s in Bioethics through the Alden March Bioethics Institute during their residency. The Master of Science in Bioethics degree is designed to provide the skills to analyze ethical situations that arise in health care, public health, pastoral care, patient advocacy, medical social work, medical research, and the life sciences. These skills include the ability to identify ethical dilemmas, to create and scrutinize policies and practices in various settings, and to think and write critically about these issues.
Our program is a Ryan Residency Training program, which is a national initiative to integrate and enhance family planning training for obstetrics and gynecology residents. We have an extremely robust complex family planning division and training program.
As part of their residency training, all residents are required to complete a quality improvement (QI) project aimed at enhancing patient care, clinical workflows, or safety outcomes. Each resident is paired with a faculty mentor who provides guidance throughout project development, implementation, and evaluation.
Residents seeking to deepen their expertise in quality improvement may pursue the role of Chief Resident for Quality. This leadership position includes active membership on the departmental quality committee, offering opportunities to collaborate on system-level initiatives, engage in interdisciplinary problem-solving, and represent resident perspectives in quality and safety discussions.
ARROW (Albany Resident Research in ObGyn Works) is a four-year research program designed to build residents’ skills in evaluating and conducting clinical research in obstetrics and gynecology. Guided by faculty mentorship and a structured curriculum of lectures, small-group sessions, and project support, residents develop scholarly projects presented in PGY-3 year and are encouraged to share their work at local and national conferences and receive funding to support this. Quarterly team meetings foster collaboration across PGY levels and help residents navigate the research and publication process.
Resident research interests vary widely, reflecting the diverse passions and academic curiosity of our trainees. Projects have encompassed clinical studies, randomized control trials, and bench research.
Recent PGY-3 Research presentations:
* Presented at national conference
** Published in peer-reviewed journal
2025
Emily Avis, MD
“Outpatient Clinic Access and Its Impacts on Patient Outcomes and Care in Pregnancy of Unknown Location”
Michelle Chaffee, MD
“Necessity of Follow-up After Scheduled Bilateral Salpingectomies: A Retrospective Cohort Study”
Em Covert, MD
“Time to Treatment Initiation in Vulvar Cancer”
Seun Fadairo, MD
“Effect of Antibiotics and Tocolysis after Physical Exam Indicated Cerclage on Delivery Latency”
Rachel Fried, MD
“Preferences and Timing for Early Pregnancy Loss Treatment”
Tatum Weishaupt, MD
“Capital Area Reproductive Medication Availability (CARMA)”
2024
Lauren Beck, MD
“Improving the evaluation of first trimester bleeding”
Kathryn Crofton, MD
“Postpartum permanent contraception procedures: A 360-degree qualitative investigation”
Emma Ritzmann, MD
“Implementation of universal substance use screening in prenatal care”
Allison Schachter, MD
“Impact of Minimally Invasive vs. Open Surgery on Discharge Location in Geriatric Patients Undergoing Surgery for Ovarian Cancer?”
Catherine Tedeschi, MD
“Risk of Cesarean Section in Chronic Hypertensive Patients Based on Timing of Induction: Early term vs. Term”
Amanda Vinner, MD
“Patient and healthcare burden from pregnancies of unknown location”
2023
Preethi Govindarajan, MD
“Impact of Gender Inclusive Language in Obstetrics and Gynecology”
Karissa Leong, MD
“Patient Satisfaction Using My Accessible Contraceptive Tool (myACT)”
Brooke Zaiz, MD
“A Qualitative Analysis of Medical Students’ Experiences with Second Trimester Surgical Abortions” *,**
Gabriella Mylod, MD
“FLS Scores in OB/GYN Residents: Does a History of Musical or Athletic Performance Matter?”
Aurora Phillips, MD
“The Association Between Abortion Restrictions and Patient-Centered Care for Early Pregnancy Loss at U.S. OB/GYN Residency Programs” *,**
Ellen Villafuerte, MD
“Exploring Patient Perceptions of Pessaries After Initial Consultation: A Qualitative Study”
2022
Ruba Alafifi, MD
“Alternate sites for blood pressure measurement in pregnancy” *,**
Colleen Gardner, MD
“Re-defining fetal growth restriction in Class III obesity”
Kayla Hudson, MD
“The effect of a standardized post-cesarean section pain regimen on postpartum opioid use” *,**
Ashwini Javlekar, MD
“Effect of ultrasound location on certainty of initial pregnancy diagnosis: a retrospective cohort study at an academic medical center” *
Elaine Jaworski, MD
“Dilapan-S® for induction of labor: assessing outpatient placement and effectiveness (the feasibility study)”
Ariana Munger, MD
“Surgical and non-surgical clerkships: comparing student perceptions of ethical and professionalism issues” *
Training in Albany offers unique opportunities for resident involvement in health policy and advocacy, thanks to our location in the state capital. Many residents choose to engage with advocacy efforts through organizations such as ACOG and other community groups. We encourage participation in the ACOG District II Residency Advocacy Program (RAP), where residents receive formal lobbying training and apply it to advocate at the Capitol on key issues impacting our specialty—collaborating with passionate peers and professionals committed to improving care in obstetrics and gynecology.