Third Year Medical Students

Clerkship in Obstetrics & Gynecology 

This clerkship offers a chance to profoundly widen knowledge and understanding of women's health issues, and continue the third year task of incorporating theoretical knowledge into clinical care. OB/GYN is an exciting specialty, requiring varied skills. 

The OB/GYN clerkship occurs in a 5-week block (part of the Perioperative & Maternal Care thematic section shared with the surgery clerkship) and includes the following components: 

• Didactics: Group sessions, case reviews, and problem-based learning with core faculty 
• Clinical experience: Hands-on experiences include patient interviewing, preceptor-observed physical diagnosis, assisting in surgery and at births, lab interpretation and office lab testing, clinical team meetings, and case discussions. 
• Directed independent learning: Through general reading of the suggested text, Beckmann and Ling’s Obstetrics and Gynecology, by Dr. Robert Casanova et al; and expanded reading of articles and texts related to specific patient care. 

Clerkship Goals

The OB/GYN clerkship is designed to help student: 

• Gain an understanding of OB/GYN as a specialty to aid in career planning. 
• Increase skill in performing complete breast and pelvic exams, and recognizing the significance of abnormal findings. 
• Deepen understanding of common issues in women's health care, enabling students to appropriately manage, triage, and refer, regardless of future practice choice. 
• Grasp medical knowledge related to women's health care at least at the level required to pass licensing exams.

Textbook Suggestions and Objectives

Our clerkship objectives are the national objectives delineated by the Association of Professors of Obstetrics & Gynecology (APGO). They are listed in the required textbook, Beckmann and Ling’s Obstetrics and Gynecology, by Dr. Robert Casanova et al.  

Clerkship Administration

Students with any questions or concerns about clerkship requirements, clinical sites, or career choices and opportunities are encouraged to contact: 

Dhivya Kannabiran, MD - OB/GYN Clerkship Director
Phone:  508-334-6255
E-mail:  dhivya.kannabiran@umassmemorial.org
Pager: 6919

Lori J. Allard - OB/GYN Clerkship Coordinator
Phone: 508-334-6110 
E-mail: Lori.Allard@umassmed.edu

Evaluation Process

For grading purposes, the end-of-clerkship summative evaluation of each student will include:

• Clinical evaluations by site preceptors (45%)
• Scores on the end-of-clerkship OSCE (20%) 
• NBME OB/GYN Subject Exam score (15%)
• Oral examination (10%)
• Longitudinal Focus Topic (10%)

Clinical Sites for the OB/GYN Clerkship include the following:

SITE: UMass Memorial Medical Center, Memorial Campus, Worcester, MA 
Subspecialty exposure. 
Work with UMass resident teams.
Assigned outpatient preceptors. 
Diverse patient population.

SITE: Berkshire Medical Center, Pittsfield, MA 
Great, basic low risk obstetrics and gynecology. 
Small, cohesive faculty practice with outpatient offices located at the medical center. 
Lots of hands on experience as there are no residents. 
Free on-site housing and meals.

SITE: Milford Regional Medical Center, Milford, MA 
Great, basic low risk obstetrics and gynecology. 
Small, cohesive faculty practice with outpatient offices located at and near the medical center.
Some sub-specialty exposure. 
Lots of hands on experience as there are no residents.

SITE: Cape Cod Hospital, Hyannis, MA 
Sub-specialty exposure 
Work with residents and students from Tufts New England Medical Center 
Proximity to Boston. 
Diverse patient population. 

SITE: St. Vincent Hospital at Worcester Medical Center, Worcester MA 
Great, basic low risk obstetrics and gynecology. 
Small, cohesive attending group practice with outpatient offices located at the medical center.. 
Attend Wednesday morning Grand Rounds at UMMHC - Memorial Campus. 
Work with one UMass OB/GYN resident on gynecologic surgery. 

 

Maternal Child Health Elective

3rd Year students have the option of participating in the combined OB/ Pediatric Department elective in Maternal Child Health. Successful completion of the OB/GYN clerkship is a pre-requisite. MCH students have the opportunity to combine small group inter-disciplinary seminars and expanded didactics, with case studies following assigned maternity patients one-on-one through pregnancy, birth, and the newborn period. Home visits are included in follow-up planning. For more information, contact the Office of Medical Education.