Clinical
Our two fellows spend three-month blocks alternating between three clinical sites (Ben Taub General Hospital and Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women/Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center). During this time, there is abundant exposure to traditional laparoscopy, robotic assisted laparoscopy (multiple port and single incision laparoscopy), and vaginal natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery. Additionally, our fellows are exposed to a wide breadth of pathology, including large fibroid uteri, adnexal pathology, adenomyosis, and endometriosis.
On average, the fellows will spend three days per week in the OR, one day per week in clinic, and have one day per week of dedicated research time.
Our fellows participate in labor and delivery call at Ben Taub General Hospital, where they act as attending physicians with resident oversight for one 12-hour shift per month. Our fellows receive moonlighting pay for this shift. Additionally, the fellows take call for patients of the minimally invasive gynecologic surgery division at Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women.
Didactic and Research
Fellows participate in our monthly fellowship FMIGS didactics and weekly gynecology preoperative and didactic resident conferences. They are encouraged to participate in additional Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology educational activities, such as Grand Rounds, M&M conferences at Ben Taub Hospital, and resident journal clubs. Fellows are also involved in several resident and student education forums as instructors. These include weekly sessions teaching the residents and medical students about various aspects of minimally invasive surgery.
Multiple opportunities exist for research within this fellowship program at Baylor College of Medicine. Each fellow is required to complete at least one research project during their tenure at Baylor College of Medicine which is to be presented at the annual AAGL meeting. Additionally, at least one article shall be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal. This is mandatory and is a prerequisite to graduation.
Fellows may pursue clinical trials under the supervision of the program director. Other investigators at the College are available and excited to work with our fellows. Past fellows have collaborated with several departments within the institution on various research projects.
Training Sites
Ben Taub General Hospital
Our fellows spend approximately 40 percent of their time rotation at Ben Taub Hospital, the largest county hospital in Houston. It is a high volume, high acuity setting as one of two Level 1 trauma centers in the city.
Here, our fellows mature their skills as an educator and leader as they serve as junior faculty with the resident teams. In addition, fellows take one 12-hour labor and delivery call per month and practice full-spectrum obstetrics and gynecology while on shift.
Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women
An additional 40 percent of time is spent at the Pavilion for Women. The hospital serves as a tertiary referral center. Here, our fellows are exposed to complex endometriosis cases and routinely work in coordination with our colorectal and urology colleagues in the care of patients.
Due to the nature of the hospital’s role as a tertiary referral center, our fellows are also exposed to less common pathology such as cesarean scar ectopic pregnancy, minimally invasive abdominal cerclages in pregnancy, and surgical treatment of Mullerian anomalies.
Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center
Approximately 20 percent of time is spent at Baylor St. Luke’s. At this site, fellows will gain experience in the care of patients with complex medical co-morbidities, as well as gain exposure with the da Vinci SP robotic platform and its use in single incision laparoscopy.
