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Family Planning
Courtney A. Schreiber, MD, MPH
Director, Family Planning Fellowship Program
Steven J. Sondheimer, MD
Co-Director, Family Planning Fellowship Program
University of Pennsylvania Health System
Department of OB/GYN
Penn Family Planning & Pregnancy Loss Center
3400 Spruce Street
1000 Courtyard Bldg.
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Phone: (215)615-5234
Fax: (215)615-5319
Please direct all fellowship application inquiries to:
JLoesch@obgyn.upenn.edu
The Family Planning Fellowship at PENN is a two-year program designed to be an enriching training experience that will create leaders in academic family planning. Our program takes advantage of the University’s resources, diverse clinical programs, and research infrastructure. The varied expertise in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, as well as the breadth of the University training programs will enable fellows to be expertly prepared for any career path they choose.
The fellowship is based in the Penn Family Planning and Pregnancy Loss Center at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, directed by Drs. Courtney Schreiber and Steven Sondheimer. Fellows may participate in clinical training in the Division of Reproductive Genetics and are expected to complete a Masters in Health Policy Research or Public Health.
Prerequisites
Applicants must be ABOG eligible and have a state medical license. Applicants must also have completed an approved residency program in Obstetrics and Gynecology. A graduate of a foreign medical school must have a standard ECFMG certificate and completed postgraduate training in the United States.
Number of First Year Positions: 1
Program Description
Clinical:
Fellows will be trained in both routine and complex patient care in the following areas:
- Contraceptive Services: Family planning/contraceptives/sterilization consultation and education for women with complex medical conditions
- Medical Uterine Evacuation using mifepristone and misoprostol is offered to appropriate patients. Misoprostol is also available, as indicated, to early pregnancy failure patients with clinical follow up.
- Surgical Uterine Evacuation procedures are performed in an office setting for appropriate patients. First trimester manual vacuum aspiration (MVA), first trimester electric vacuum aspiration (EVA) suction curettage, and second trimester D&E are available.
Clinical training sites include The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Hospital and Planned Parenthood.
Research:
Each fellow will complete at least one research project of which s/he is the principal investigator. Dr. Schreiber and Dr. Kurt Barnhart, Assistant Dean for Clinical Research Operations, Associate Director of the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Director of the Women’s Health Clinical Research Center and Reproductive Research at the University of Pennsylvania will provide a mentored research experience for each fellow.
Fellows will be supported by a rich research infrastructure through resources available in the department and in the:
- The Women's Health Clinical Research Center. The goal of the Women's Health Clinical Research Center is to promote collaboration among department faculty, as well as across the University, in our mission to continue carrying out the highest quality clinical research in women's health. This Center is designed to provide an infrastructure to assist experienced as well as new investigators in the implementation and conduct of clinical research.
- The Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics/Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology. The mission of the Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics/Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology (CCEB/DBE) is to improve the health of the public by linking epidemiology, biostatistics, and clinical medicine. To that end, the CCEB and DBE offer multiple research programs and a broad range of clinical research training and research services.
- The Institute for the Translational Medicine and Therapeutics. The Institute for the Translational Medicine and Therapeutics (ITMAT) supports research at the interface of basic and clinical research, with a particular focus on the development of new and safer therapeutic entities. The ITMAT also offers a Master's in Translational Research and supports pilot grants.
Education:
Master of Public Health Program (MPH Program) is a university-wide interdisciplinary collaboration among multiple schools. In addition to the faculty from the School of Medicine where the program is housed, faculty from Nursing, Arts and Sciences, Social Policy and Practice, Veterinary
Medicine, Education, Wharton and Dental Medicine are integral partners in this initiative. The overall MPH Program objective is to provide a focal point for enhancing collaborations in public health research, teaching and service. During their course of study, students are enabled to embrace and achieve the public health paradigm as an essential component of their future endeavors in prevention, hygiene, education, and policy making.
Master of Science in Health Policy Research (MSHP) program is based at the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics (LDI), a collaborative effort with the Department of Medicine at the School of Medicine and the Health Care Systems Department at Wharton. Building upon the transdisciplinary nature of LDI, this program is also closely affiliated with the Annenberg School for Communication and the School of Social Policy and Practice--two schools at Penn with growing interests in and commitment to the fields of health services research and health policy.
Mentorship:
Drs. Schreiber and Sondheimer will meet with fellows weekly in a “fellows lunch meeting” to discuss challenges and progress in all areas of the fellowship, and to review the stages of the current research project.
Twice yearly, fellows complete the Faculty Self-Assessment Career Development Form. Dr. Sondheimer and Dr. Schreiber will have formal meetings with the fellows twice yearly. Research mentorship will be provided by Drs. Schreiber and Barnhart, and other faculty relevant to the specific project.
The School of Medicine and the department chair, Dr. Driscoll, are committed to ensuring that all fellows and faculty participate in the department’s mentoring program for fellows and take advantage of the Penn’s faculty development programs. These include the ADVANCE Professional Development course and FOCUS on Health & Leadership for Women, a dean-funded program at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine designed to improve the recruitment, retention, advancement and leadership of women faculty, and to promote women’s health research.
For more information and requirements, please visit http://www.familyplanningfellowship.org/
Application Requirements
- Current Curriculum Vitae
- Personal Statement
- Three Letters of Recommendation (one letter must be from the current program director)
Applications must be submitted with the requirements listed above.
Helpful Links
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Fellowship in Family Planning Information
