First year–12 weeks Obstetrics

In-house call on OB is one night out of three.

Second year–4 weeks Obstetrics, 4 weeks gynecology
In the second year, one month of gynecology and one month of obstetrics are required.

Third year–4 weeks Gynecology and obstetrics, plus gynecology is included in the 12-week subspecialties rotation

This is a combined inpatient and outpatient rotation with surgical assisting being a significant portion of the rotation.

Obstetrics is taught at Portneuf Medical Center and includes both inpatient and outpatient experiences with Dr. Donald Dyer, obstetrician coordinator.

Obstetrical training offers a high volume of deliveries including high-risk care and cesarean sections. Residents should expect between 150 to 200 deliveries and should get experience with 40 to 60 cesarean sections, including 30 to 40 acting as primary surgeon. Experience in a variety of outpatient procedures is readily available, including flexible sigmoidoscopy, EGD, vasectomy, colposcopy and LEEP.

Two grants have helped make the obstetrics component of the program particularly strong. One is a perinatal outreach clinic which was a joint venture with Health West, Inc. and has placed residents in Migrant farm worker clinics in American Falls and Aberdeen where they see the patients under the supervision of faculty and then deliver them at Portneuf Medical Center. American Falls has been approved as a second family practice center site and one second year and one third year resident have their full continuity clinic at that site.

Obstetrics is a strong focus in the first, second and third years of residency. Residents choosing to make obstetrics a significant portion of their practice after graduation are advised to take an additional two months of obstetrics elective in their second or third years.

Gynecology clinics are held in private offices, as well as in the Family Medicine Center, the Southeast Idaho District Health Department and the Student Health Center.

For those residents who do not intend to do obstetrics, the residency has a non-OB track. Residents who choose this track are only required to do the residency review committee required two months of obstetrics, which takes place in the first year. This frees up a total of an additional four months of elective. Two of these are strongly recommended to be additional medicine months and the other two the resident is free to choose additional electives. Usually one resident per year chooses a non-OB track.