Didactics and Simulation
Protected Teaching Activities
Department Grand Rounds
Presentations by invited guest speakers with topics of current clinical and/or research interest every other week.
Statistics/Morbidity & Mortality
Oral boards-style departmental conference with presentations prepared by chief residents regarding cases managed by their respective services. This conference alternates weeks with Grand Rounds.
Faculty Lecture Series
Weekly presentation to residents by faculty members about current concepts/management of clinical problems within obstetrics or gynecology. Every other week residents from all sites come together for lectures at UCLA. This helps us foster a sense of community and allows all residents to participate in special sessions such as skill labs or simulations.
Anatomy Labs
Dissections and gynecologic procedures using donated female cadavers during UCLA Gynecology rotation.
Additional Conferences
- Resident lecture series: weekly evidence-based review of a CREOG topic in obstetrics or gynecology, presented by assigned resident.
- Pre-operative conference: weekly review and discussion of planned surgical cases for the upcoming weeks.
- Gynecologic Oncology Conference/Tumor Board: weekly multidisciplinary rounds involving gynecologic-oncologists, radiation-oncologists, pathologists and radiologists to discuss current cases and recommend treatment plans.
- High-risk Obstetrics: weekly review and discussion of management plan of high-risk obstetrical patients.
- Colposcopy Conference: weekly multidisciplinary review and discussion of colposcopy patients involving gynecologists, nurse practitioners, pathologists and gynecologic-oncologists.
- NICU Conference: bi-monthly review of intrapartum events and neonatal course of NICU infants and presentation of complicated antepartum patients.
- Journal club: regular (every 2 months) meeting to review and discuss key journal articles relevant to the practice of obstetrics and gynecology.
Simulation
During all four years of residency we use simulation to strengthen clinical and procedural skills and help us improve team dynamics. We are also lucky to have wonderful simulation centers that in addition to housing our educational sessions provide residents with resources for independent practice. Integrated drills involving obstetrics, anesthesia, pediatrics and nursing take place in the simulation center and on labor and delivery, and are critical to our training program. These experiences enhance clinical decision making, team communication, trainee confidence, with an overall goal of enhancing patient safety and delivery of efficient patient care.
Our Simulation Centers
Center for Advanced Surgical and Interventional Technology (CASIT): The CASIT lab has a UCLA simulation facility for training and research that is conveniently located in the basement of Ronald Reagan Medical Center (RRMC). It maintains a robotic surgery system, laparoscopic box trainers and digital laparoscopy simulators. It can be accessed 7 days per week, 24 hours per day. Learn more >
Simulation Center: Our other simulation center is located on the A floor of the Learning Resource Center at 700 Westwood Plaza, directly across from the RRMC. It is a state of the art center available for trainees and faculty across many disciplines. It houses the obstetrical simulator, Noelle.
Management of Obstetric Emergency: During every rotation block we hold an obstetric emergency simulation at Ronald Regan. These simulations involve not only the obstetric team but also anesthesia, nursing and pediatrics and help us make sure that our ability to communicate and work as a team when an emergency happens is optimized. These are some of the drills performed:
- Shoulder dystocia
- Crash cesarean section
- Postpartum hemorrhage
- Management of eclampsia
Simulation Labs: Throughout the year we have several simulation training sessions including:
- Repair of third and fourth degree lacerations with animal tissue models
- Robotics bootcamp with KindHeart tissue models
- Postpartum hemorrhage management
- Forceps delivery
- Deep Nexplanon removal
Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery (FLS): Residents are required to complete their certificate in Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery by the end of their PGY-2 year. They are provided with all the resources to practice and master the necessary skills. They also have a laparoscopic knot tying session with a MIGS faculty and a practice session with a nurse educator, to ensure they are adequately prepared for test day.
Da Vinci Certification: Residents have the opportunity to become Da Vinci certified during their training. This is not a requirement but it is an available opportunity for those who desire to perform robotic assisted surgery after graduation.