Program Information
Program Highlights
Diverse Learning Environments
Residents of the Dartmouth Obstetrics and Gynecology Program spend the majority of time at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, NH, a state of the art facility in a beautiful rural location. Nine months of the second year are spent at Southern New Hampshire Medical Center in Nashua, NH which a more urban experience in a community hospital. There are also opportunities for family planning training at Planned Parenthood of Northern New England and Concord Feminist Health Center.
Faculty
Each of our specialty divisions is fully staffed with physicians and nurse practitioners/midwives who are committed to excellence in patient care and to the education of the next generation of physicians. Residents learn collaborative practice in a nurturing yet intellectually stimulating environment. Faculty members see resident physicians as important colleagues. Most faculty members are involved in research and participate in committee work at the local, regional, and national level.
Surgical Training
Our curriculum is heavily weighted towards surgical training with an emphasis on minimally invasive procedures. Residents graduate with expertise in vaginal, laparoscopic, and robotics procedures. Exposure to urogynecology and reproductive endocrinology is extensive and begins during the intern year. In addition, residents spend a cumulative total of 9 months on the Gynecologic Oncology Service providing inpatient care for patients as well as ambulatory care at the Norris Cotton Cancer Center
Research
Our research division is led by Marlene Goldman ScD, a renowned epidemiologist in women’s health. She is responsible for the research curriculum and the timeline of responsibilities in research. Residents are required to do research and present a completed project by the end of the third year. Fourth year residents are encouraged to prepare a manuscript for publication and present at a national meeting.
Simulation Training
We believe that simulation training is a powerful teaching tool for many aspects of the curriculum. We have an 8000 square foot on-site patient safety training center which features a delivery room, a NICU bed, and adult ICU bed, and an operating room. In addition, there are multiple laparoscopic surgical simulators which can be accessed for practice 24 hours a day. Residents learn both technical skills and communication and teamwork skills within the simulation center.
Patient Population
DHMC is the only academic tertiary care center in the state of New Hampshire. Our patient catchment area is wide and includes 1.5 million people in New Hampshire, Vermont, Northern Massachusetts, and western Maine. Many of our patients are referred for tertiary care but we also provide primary care to the local population in the Upper Connecticut River Valley.
Information Technology
Dartmouth Hitchcock recently implemented a new electronic medical record in our Lebanon, Manchester, and Nashua campuses with the goal of improving the quality and safety of the care we provide throughout the region. The entire DHMC campus is equipped with wireless access for use with laptop and/or tablet computing. Medline, UpToDate, and other evidence-based databases as well as the DHMC intranet are available from all medical center work stations and throughout the outpatient clinics. The Biomedical Libraries of Dartmouth College have approximately 2500 current journal subscriptions, including 1500 digital journals. The libraries also provide access to over 40 digital textbooks. The biomedical librarians offer practical lectures and regularly scheduled workshops on manipulating resources and navigating medical data bases available on the web.
Leadership Preventive Medicine Residency
After completing a four-year Ob/Gyn residency, DHMC residents may apply to the Leadership Preventive Medicine Residency, a unique program at Dartmouth that allows residents from various fields gain knowledge and skills in the measurement of outcomes, the leadership of change, and the improvement of health care systems. Through a combination of coursework and practicum projects, residents learn to evaluate clinical microsystems and take leadership roles in effecting change. This training includes a Masters of Public Health degree from Dartmouth College at no cost to residents as well as Board eligibility in Preventive Medicine at the completion.
