Training & Education

Accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)

Overview

The Los Angeles General Medical Center Maternal-Fetal Medicine fellowship program is an enriching opportunity for fellows to develop all the necessary clinical skills to become an independent consultant. The program is mindfully designed to give fellows the knowledge and training in treating maternal, obstetrical, and fetal diseases. Training occurs at Los Angeles General Medical Center, California Hospital Medical Center, and Huntington Hospital. Los Angeles General Medical Center is a major referral site for high-risk pregnancies and boasts the largest number of incoming maternal transports in Los Angeles County. The patients at Los Angeles General Medical Center come from an underserved inner-city population and the vast majority of patients have long standing, severe maternal medical-obstetrical complications that place their pregnancies at risk. Fellows have a multitude of opportunities to serve and learn from this population in the following clinics: genetics/prenatal diagnosis, fetal echocardiography, general high-risk obstetrics (e.g., prior preterm birth, multiple gestation, hypertension, autoimmune disease, liver disease, etc.), neurology, diabetes, endocrine/thyroid, preconception counseling, cardiology, HIV/AIDS, and high-risk family planning clinic. The antepartum service allows the fellow to manage and consult on a variety of obstetrical admissions outside of labor and delivery. The fellows’ required training as a labor and delivery supervisor occurs at California Hospital Medical Center. On this rotation, fellows have a primary role overseeing and participating in inpatient obstetrical care and will take part in administrative development by participating in committees and in policy and procedure refinement. Training in critical care is augmented by having our fellows partake in direct patient care in the surgical intensive care unit. Huntington Hospital is the third site where our fellows train. At Huntington Hospital, fellows participate in fetal surgery. All of our fellows have the opportunity to be involved with a nationally and internationally renowned fetal care center, the Institute of Maternal-Fetal Health and Los Angeles Fetal Therapy.

With regards to research, our program has plentiful opportunities for clinical and basic science research. The overarching goal is to provide the fellows the skills to become an independent researcher. The unique talents of the division faculty coupled with the tremendous inherent investigative potential at the University of Southern California and Los Angeles General Medical Center, combine for tremendous research opportunities during the fellowship years. From the beginning of fellowship, trainees are encouraged to focus on research projects and are mentored during training to ensure adequate completion of their fellowship thesis. Fellows work side-by-side with faculty mentors who have strong research experience, and fellows are taught biostatistics and research methodology. Fellows are encouraged to publish their findings and present their research at local, national, and international meetings. Financial support is available to sponsor such presentations.

Didactic conferences and lectures are held weekly and cover fundamental topics in maternal-fetal medicine. These are designed to meet the educational objectives outlined in the Guide to Learning in Maternal-Fetal Medicine provided by ABOG. The vast majority of lectures are provided by faculty and all are fine-tuned for fellow education. Case-based simulations have also been created to augment the fellows’ education. Journal clubs, practice-based learning and improvement conferences, neonatal morbidity and mortality conferences, grand rounds, research conferences, fetal heart rate monitoring conferences, conferences at the Institute of Maternal Fetal Health, and conferences at regional genetics conferences are all part of the education curriculum of our fellowship.

The three year fellowship program is divided into 12 months of clinical maternal-fetal medicine, 12 months of research, 2 months of labor and delivery supervisor, 1 month critical care, and 9 months of electives/research. Current electives include: outpatient prenatal ultrasound, fetal echocardiography, fetal surgery, infectious diseases, HIV clinic, obstetrical anesthesia, placental pathology, and pediatric genetics.

The Los Angeles General Medical Center fellowship program is aligned with the educational guidelines set forth by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Individuals completing this three-year training program are capable of fulfilling the necessary requirements for sub-specialty certification established by the Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology.  Our fellowship was reaccredited by ABOG in 2014.

In summary, the mission of the educational process for fellows in Maternal-Fetal Medicine in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine, is to provide the essential understanding and knowledge to render excellent maternal-fetal care, raise the educational standards for Obstetrics in the fellow’s chosen community, and provide opportunities for individualized academic investigations. For specific program-related information, or if you need assistance with the online application, please contact Danielle Gomez (danielle.gomez@med.usc.edu), the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Fellowship Coordinator. You can also contact Brendan Grubbs, MD, Program Director (brendan.grubbs@med.usc.edu ) for further questions regarding the fellowship

Application Process

Applicants to the fellowship must apply through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) and also register with the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP).

Candidates must be fully trained in Obstetrics and Gynecology and be eligible as “active candidates” for certification by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. We accept applications only from individuals who are able to obtain medical licensure in California.

Fellowship applications are accepted online through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS). More information can be obtained online by clicking here. Select candidates will be invited to interview with the Program Director, division faculty and fellows. Our program participates in the National Residency Matching Program.  Application deadlines for our program are those established by ERAS and the NRMP for maternal-fetal medicine fellowship programs. We encourage all applicants to finalize their application at least a day before the ERAS application deadline.

Graduates of foreign medical schools should contact the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) for application materials and eligibility requirements. Individuals who have already graduated from a foreign medical school must have a valid Applicant Evaluation Status Letter from the Medical Board of California. The Los Angeles General Medical Center only accepts the use of J-1 visas for postgraduate training.

Application Process

Selection of fellows will be made by the members of the Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine. Candidates wishing to begin their training at times other than July will be considered on an individual basis. One fellow may be accepted each year.

On acceptance, a candidate for certification of special competence in Maternal-Fetal Medicine by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology must prepare and submit their application for Board approval 90 days before the commencement of training. Consultation, advice and guidance will be given to the selected candidates in preparing their individualized programs. This will be done with the approval of the Program Director. In order to successfully complete the fellowship, the fellow must achieve all the requirements set forth by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology in the general and special requirements for Maternal-Fetal Medicine.

Contact

Fellowship Coordinator:
Danielle Gomez
Email:danielle.gomez@med.usc.edu
Phone: (323) 409-6672

Program Director
Brendan Grubbs, MD
brendan.grubbs@med.usc.edu