Resident Rotations
Overview of Rotations
- Obstetrics clinic x2/week throughout Inpatient
- Obstetrics
- General Gynecology
- Gynecology MAB/Ectopic Service
- Outpatient clinic rotation, including ultrasound, internal medicine, pathology, and weekend coverage of OB
- Emergency Medicine
- Gynecology Oncology
- Continuity clinic x1/week throughout
- Inpatient MFM
- Obstetrics Nights
- Surgical ICU
- REI
- Gynecology MAB/Ectopic Service
- Ambulatory/Gynecology with focus on breast clinic, pelvic floor PT, and correctional medicine
- Ambulatory, with a focus on outpatient vulvar, bone, colposcopy, and ultrasound
- Continuity clinic x1/week throughout
- Obstetrics Chief
- Gynecology Nights
- Gynecology Oncology
- Urogynecology
- General Gynecology
- Ambulatory/Gynecology with focus on breast clinic, pelvic floor PT, and correctional medicine
- Ambulatory, with a focus on outpatient vulvar, bone, colposcopy, and ultrasound
- REI
- GYN at Jacksonville Memorail Hospital
- Reproductive Healthcare at Planned Parenthood of Illinois
*Optional elective time can be taken out of gynecology. Past residents have done global health rotations in Ghana and Uganda! Other electives may include away rotations in a desired sub-specialty.
Obstetrics and Gynecology
The Division of General Obstetrics & Gynecology provides comprehensive consultation and surgical services for women across all stages of life.
Our physicians maintain a busy clinical practice serving a diverse patient population, creating rich learning opportunities for medical students and residents. Each year, the division performs more than 1,100 deliveries and over 1,000 gynecologic surgeries, including advanced procedures using the minimally invasive da Vinci® Surgical System.
Dr. Erica Nelson serves as the division chief and director of the Obstetrics & Gynecology Residency Program. Faculty members are actively engaged in resident and student education, serve on academic and institutional committees and care for patients in outreach clinics across the region.
SIU Fertility & IVF
The SIU Fertility & IVF Center is the most comprehensive, multidisciplinary fertility program in central Illinois, dedicated to helping couples achieve their dream of having a child. Since 2009, our mission has been to provide advanced, team-based care for both female and male patients while identifying the causes of infertility.
Our physicians are board certified in obstetrics and gynecology, reproductive endocrinology and infertility and urology. They work together with a team of specialty nurses, genetic counselors, dietitians and other professionals, to offer the most advanced treatment options available for infertile couples.
For patients who require reproductive surgery, SIU physicians are nationally recognized leaders. They hold credentials from the Accreditation Council for Gynecologic Endoscopy of the American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists. SIU Fertility & IVF Center is also the only fertility center and accredited laboratory in Central and Southern Illinois that is a member of the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART), reporting outcomes according to its rigorous standards. In 2022, our center completed 157 IVF cycles.
Maternal-Fetal Medicine
SIU Center for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, directed by Robert Abrams, MD, is provides specialized care for women in central Illinois with high-risk pregnancies. These include complications such as maternal diabetes, preeclampsia, preterm labor, multifetal gestations, fetal abnormalities and other less common obstetrical complications.
Our providers also staff the South-Central Illinois Perinatal Center located at HSHS St. John’s Hospital to ensure continuity of high-risk care both during pregnancy and postpartum. Using an integrated approach, the center offers advanced prenatal screening and diagnostic tools to support mothers and their babies.
Urogynecology
The Pelvic Wellness Center at SIU Medicine is a multidisciplinary team of professionals who treat pelvic floor disorders. Specialists from obstetrics and gynecology, urology, physical therapy, gastroenterology, colorectal surgery and infectious diseases collaborate to provide comprehensive patient care. Each year, the center manages about 4,300 clinic visits and performs nearly 2,200 surgical procedures, giving residents broad training and exposure to treatment options for pelvic floor conditions.
Gynecologic Oncology
The Division of Gynecologic Oncology, directed by Laurent Brard, MD, PhD, provides specialized care for women throughout central and southern Illinois with all types of gynecologic cancers. Dr. Brard, a board-certified gynecologic oncologist, cares for more than 1,200 women each year using a multidisciplinary, patient-centered approach with advanced surgical techniques and adjuvant treatments.
The division actively participates in clinical, translational and discovery research. Faculty educate medical students, residents and hematology-oncology fellows through exposure to common and rare gynecologic malignancies, as well as didactics and research forums. Each year, the division performs more than 250 surgical procedures, providing extensive hands-on training opportunities.
Ultrasound
Formal ultrasound training in obstetrics and gynecology is obtained during the first year of residency under the direction of the MFM faculty, and the certified sonographers. Basic training in physics, machine operation, scanning technique, image optimization, measuring structures, and interpretation are provided during this time. Further training and refining of skills occurs throughout residency on the wards and clinics with emphasis on specific obstetrical skills being provided during MFM rotations.
Genetics
The genetics curriculum is taught in conjunction with the Division of Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, and the Maternal Fetal Medicine Division. A faculty member who is board certified in Genetics provides the primary lectures. The management and application of genetics in the clinical situation is taught during the MFM rotation and within the resident continuity clinics. Residents manage patients and provide routine genetic counseling within their resident obstetric continuity clinics.
Research
Research is encouraged throughout the 4 years of residency. During this time, research projects are to be designed, data is to be gathered and analyzed, and papers written under the direction of the faculty. The Director of Research and Program Director must approve all resident projects prior to initiation to ensure appropriate design and feasibility of the project. The research division assists each resident with preparation of Internal Review Board applications. All PG-3 and PG-4 residents must present a paper on original research (no case studies or previously published papers) at the SIU Research Symposium at the end of the year.
Clinic Duty
Continuity
Each 2nd, 3rd, and 4th year resident conducts a ob/gyn continuity clinic one-half day per week. There is ongoing random assignment of patients to these clinics from the emergency room, hospital discharge, individual requests, etc. Care of continuity clinic patients takes preference over all other activities. The residents are responsible for all patient management decisions, both inpatient and outpatient for patients seen in their clinics. An important fraction of resident surgical cases come from their continuity clinic. Faculty is present in these clinics for supervision.
Stork
These half-day continuity clinics are conducted by the PG 1 residents and they provide care for obstetric patients only. The residents are the primary caregivers supervised by attending physicians. These clinics provide health status assessment, diagnosis and dating of pregnancy, initial evaluation, and all prenatal care. Case managers, dieticians and other necessary support staff are present in these clinics for consultation.
Ambulatory
During this rotation residents attend clinic 4 days a week, and see a mixture of gyne and high-risk ob patients. Every Thursday, ambulatory clinic residents perform colposcopic evaluation of patients for cervical dysplasia under the supervision of a Gynecologic Oncologist.