Obstetrics and Gynecology

Helain J. Landy, MD, Chair

Third-year medical students spend a six-week clerkship in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. The clerkship program uses Georgetown University Hospital, Arlington Hospital or Washington Hospital Center. During the rotation, a core lecture series is presented at Georgetown covering the basic principles of obstetrics and gynecology. Students also attend lectures and conferences held at their individual hospitals and return to Georgetown for grand rounds.

Students obtain ambulatory care experience at both hospitals. At Arlington Hospital the students attend the resident outpatient OB/GYN clinics, and at Georgetown University Hospital they assist the academic faculty in their private practices. This allows the students to develop the skills necessary to perform competent pelvic examinations, a primary goal of the clerkship. The primary care of women is a significant aspect of medicine today. Thus, the third-year clerkship also exposes the students to the problems and issues necessary to meet the health care needs of women in general, regardless of the specialty field chosen by students for a career. In addition, third-year medical students are exposed to the subspecialty areas of obstetrics and gynecology, including gynecologic oncology, maternal-fetal medicine, reproductive endocrinology & infertility, and genetics.

In addition to the required clerkship program, an extensive elective program for fourth-year medical students also is offered for those students who desire further training or wish to develop a research project. Fourth-year electives offered to medical students are: Obstetrics and Gynecology Acting Internship; Human Genetics and Genetic Counseling; Gynecologic Oncology; Ambulatory Obstetrics and Gynecology; High-Risk Pregnancy/ Maternal-Fetal Medicine; Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility; Clinical and Laboratory; and Natural Methods of Child Spacing in Developing Countries. These advanced clerkships focus on intensive clinical experience approximating that of a first-year resident. The student is encouraged to assume as much responsibility as possible during these rotations.