The fellowship in Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery is accredited by the ACGME, American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and the American Board of Urology.
The goal of our fellowship is to produce academic practitioners in female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery, and to encourage fellows to enter academic medicine by providing them with the breadth and depth of clinical and scientific knowledge. The strengths of this program include:
- We are the international authorities in endovaginal pelvic floor ultrasonography
- We are national leaders in educational research and surgical simulation multidisciplinary environment with faculty in urology, colon and rectal surgery, gastroenterology, radiology, geriatrics, and physical therapy
- We present opportunity for involvement in many funded pelvic floor research
Our clinical practice offers a full spectrum of female pelvic medicine services. Fellows interact withmultiple attending physicians at OU, both in the outpatient clinical setting and in the operating room. Fellows perform the majority of urodynamic studies in conjunction with the Urogynecology nurse. We have a pelvic floor dysfunction program that is coordinated through the Urogynecology division but involves additional consultants in urology, colorectal surgery, gastroenterology, physical therapy, and radiology (for dynamic pelvic floor MRI). Finally, OU pelvic floor laboratory offers full spectrum of translabial/transperineal pelvic floor ultrasound (3D) , endoanal ultrasonography (3D), anorectal manometry, EMG, Cinedefecography, retrograde pyelogram, percutaneous neuromodulation testing, and complete pelvic floor neurophysiologic testing.
During the second year of fellowship, fellows are given the opportunity to have their own clinic session under the supervision of a faculty member. In addition, a resident urogynecology clinic is held as part of the second and fourth year Ob/Gyn residency rotation. The urogynecology division staffs this clinic and the fellow(s) is included in this rotating responsibility as appropriate to their level of training.
Educational
Fellowship is expected to be a combination of guided and self-taught education. Fellows are expected to read appropriate texts pertaining to the field of female pelvic medicine and remain current with the published literature.
These include: journal club, grand rounds, research meetings and didactic seminars. Surgical cases for the following week are presented in conjunction with the rotating third year Ob/Gyn resident. Each Wednesday and Friday morning a resident urogynecology clinic is held as part of the rotation. The urogynecology division staffs this clinic and the fellow(s) is included in this rotating responsibility as appropriate to their level of training. Involvement in resident education is expected as part of the fellowship experience.
Research
It is our expectation that a fellow in our program will have fully developed and reported on at least one major research project during their fellowship. The width and breadth of both clinical and basic science projects that are currently underway in our division gives our fellows the opportunity to become involved in many areas. Areas of special interest include the neuroanatomy of the pelvic floor, Imaging of pelvic floor injury, basic science investigation of bladder inflammation.
Lieschen Quiroz, MD
Fellowship Program Director