Altru Family Medicine Obstetrics Fellowship

Altru Family Medicine Obstetrics Fellowship offers advanced and intensive training to those interested in practicing obstetrical care. Potential applicants are required to have graduated from an accredited three-year family medicine residency and must be a board-certified family physician.

Graduates of the fellowship complete approximately 100 c-sections and 50 vaginal deliveries. Exposure to other areas is dependent on the fellow’s desires for training and the needs of the community they will be serving. Fellows can also obtain training during their fellowship for D&C, vasectomy, colposcopy with or without LEEP, postpartum tubal ligation and more.

During the one-year fellowship, teaching opportunities are available for fellows to act as a peer mentor/educator for residents and medical students.

Basic Goals:

Management of general labor and delivery patients including competency in interpreting FHT and TOCO, augmentation of labors with cervical ripening, Pitocin, AROM, and training on fetal scalp and IUPC placement
Triage of obstetric patients
Management of High-Risk OB patients
Competence in the surgical management of obstetric patients, including cesarean sections and tubal ligations
Preoperative assessment of the labor patient and fetus
Appropriate resuscitative equipment and drugs
Pain management options for the laboring patient, risks and benefits of individual anesthesia choices
Complications and management of anesthesia procedures
Emphasis of current anesthesia guidelines and recommendations
Post-anesthesia care
Resuscitation of the labor patient and infant
Recognition of special needs infants, appropriate genetic testing and follow up
Diagnosis and step management of infertility
Competence in office Ultrasound for obstetric patients
General understanding of liability issues in providing obstetric care
Performing operative vaginal deliveries including episiotomies and vacuum assisted deliveries

Curriculum

Labor and Delivery – 32 weeks
Gynecology – 8 weeks
Neonatology – 4 weeks
Family Practice Teaching Service – 2 weeks
Ultrasound – 2 weeks
Urology – 2 weeks
Elective – 2 weeks

OB fellows are expected to take OB call throughout the year and maintain a continuity clinic of at least two half days every week. They have the opportunity to take inpatient medicine call if desired to retain skills they may need out in practice.

Application

Applications are accepted from May 1 to September 1. Two positions are open every year, with preference given to Altru Family Medicine Residency graduates. Application requirements include:

Updated Curriculum Vitae
Minimum of 2 letters of recommendation
Personal Statement

Applications can be mailed to the residency or emailed to Kelsey Huttunen, Program Supervisor, at khuttunen@altru.org. Altru FMR reserves the right to determine the number of interviews conducted.