Training & Curriculum
Fellows graduating from this program will be well prepared to pursue a career in academic medicine (teaching, research, scholarly inquiry) and to provide clinical care to patients with complex maternal-fetal health problems (consults, obstetric ultrasound, comprehensive management). Our program is collegial and well rounded, with a faculty of experienced, board-certified specialists with a wide range of expertise. We provide didactic and practical experience in maternal-fetal physiology and pathophysiology, medical complications, obstetric complications, perinatal diagnoses and fetal interventions. Research is important, and we require fellows to complete a first-author thesis that is publishable prior to graduation. There are three research tracks available:
- Clinical Research
- Perinatal Epidemiology
- Basic Science
As a major maternal referral center, we provide educational and clinical perinatal outreach to referring doctors and multiple hospitals encompassing a 150-mile radius. We have a well-developed patient safety program and Diabetes Education Program, a high volume of high-risk inpatients, high-risk outpatient programs, a major fetal evaluation and treatment unit, and a delivery volume of approximately 7,000 per year.
View training schedules for years one through three of the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Fellowship Program.
Didactics
- Weekly maternal-fetal medicine (MFM) lecture/multi-interdisciplinary lectures
- Weekly Multidisciplinary Maternal-Fetal Care Unit-Neonatal Intensive Care Unit conference
- Monthly genetic conference with John Williams III, MD
- Monthly journal club with an MFM faculty member
- Monthly journal club with Sarah Kilpatrick, MD, PhD
- Monthly obstetrics anesthesia conference
- Monthly ultrasound case conference
- Monthly multidepartmental infectious disease conference
Research
Fellows have approximately 20 dedicated months set aside for research endeavors, which equates to approximately 55% of their time in the program. Research block time is planned individually based on type of interest and maturity of the research plan. The program director is responsible for the formal research assignment. Our newly implemented internal regulations require that within the first six months of fellowship at Cedars-Sinai, new fellows are introduced to all active research activities in the division. During that time, and with the input and mentorship of the program director, fellows are expected to select a research focus and mentor. The research mentor is expected to meet weekly with fellows during their research months to closely follow, guide and encourage an active and vigorous investigative effort.
The research development curriculum, including mentorship and personnel support, provides fellows with training/experience in:
- Institutional Review Board training
- Grant writing
- Statistical analysis
- Quantitative techniques/epidemiology/study design
- Manuscript preparation
- Thesis presentation/defense
- Oral presentations and lectures
- Quality improvement methods and project design and implementation
Have Questions or Need Help?
If you have questions or would like to learn more about the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Fellowship at Cedars-Sinai, please call or send us a message.
West Medical Office Tower, Suite 160
8635 W. Third St.
Los Angeles, CA 90048