Maternal-Fetal Medicine Fellowship Program | UAMS Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Unique Features of the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Fellowship Program

Comprehensive obstetrical experience in medical and surgical complications of pregnancy with exposure to all aspects of clinical MFM practice, including ultrasound/prenatal diagnosis, genetic counseling, fetal echocardiography, outpatient/inpatient high-risk obstetrics, labor and delivery, and intrauterine fetal therapy (e.g. PUBS, IUT, etc.)
Collaboration with Arkansas Children’s Hospital specialists (e.g. neonatologists, pediatric cardiologists, pediatric geneticists, pediatric surgeons, neurosurgeons and urologists)
Protected and respected 12 months of research time for each fellow to ensure completion of thesis. There is an option to extend research time to up to 18 months.
A clinical skills simulation lab in which the fellows spend time monthly in the simulation center with the MFM faculty performing obstetric simulation in amniocentesis, CVS, shoulder dystocia, operative vaginal delivery, Obstetric hemorrhage, and cerclage placement.
The only SARA fetal MEG/ECG device in the United States, providing cutting edge research in detecting fetal brainwave activity and heart rhythms
Participation in the Arkansas Fetal Diagnosis and Management Program
Statewide Placenta Accreta Spectrum Program with a Multidisciplinary team

Annually, we do 15,000 sonographic examinations and over 1,000 genetic consultations with CVS and amniocentesis of appropriate gestational age. In the past year, we had over 2,685 deliveries, 4670 antenatal visits/admissions, 593 maternal transports and managed 455 pregestational diabetics. UAMS is the referral center for the entire state of Arkansas for pregnancies complicated by fetal anomalies, delivery at extreme prematurity, and significant maternal disease. For example, the UAMS MFM division cares for pregnant women with personal history of severe congenital heart disease with repair as children.

UAMS is also the only hospital in the state of Arkansas that manages pregnancies complicated by Placenta Accreta Spectrum. We have constructed a team with MFM, neonatology, obstetric anesthesiology, and trauma surgery to provide care to these patients with a multidisciplinary approach. The Trauma service is working with the MFM division in these cases and placing the REBOA, an aortic occlusion balloon as part of the team approach. The MFM fellows are involved in all aspects of the care for these patients and are the primary surgeons for the Cesarean Hysterectomies.

Fellows benefit from dedicated and protected weekly didactic time in a fellow-driven topic schedule designed to meet the ABOG MFM Fellow Guide to Learning objectives and prepare fellows for the written sub-specialty examination at the completion of fellowship. They attend weekly didactics given by the fellows, MFM faculty, guest College of Medicine faculty in other medical specialties, research faculty, and Arkansas Children’s Hospital faculty in MFM areas of interest. Fellows attend conferences including bimonthly department Grand Rounds teleconference, weekly High-Risk OB teleconference, monthly Fetal Anomaly Interdisciplinary Management teleconference, and quarterly joint MFM/neonatology conferences. The fellows alternate one didactic session monthly between the Obstetric Anesthesiology faculty and OB/GYN pathology faculty.

The fellows present a critically-evaluated article at the monthly division journal club and participate in the OB/GYN residency monthly journal clubs.

Specific clinical rotations are provided in ultrasound/prenatal diagnosis, inpatient antepartum and postpartum services, and labor and delivery. The fellows also rotate in surgical and medical critical care, infectious disease, NICU, and obstetric anesthesia. Fellows also have a dedicated half-day, weekly continuity clinic in which they manage a panel of their own complicated patients and provide consultation and recommendations for high-risk patients.

The MFM fellows also take a graduate course in biostatics and prenatal genetic counseling during their training through the university.

Educational Objectives

The educational objective of our fellowship is to provide the clinical, research, and teaching experience to enable the graduates of our program to become academic maternal-fetal medicine specialists with the unique knowledge and skills that will enable then to become the researchers, leaders, and teachers of our profession in the future. The three specific educational objectives that will allow us to achieve these goals can be divided into three categories: clinical, research, and teaching.

Clinical

To provide the fellows with the knowledge, experience, and clinical expertise in the management of the obstetrical, medical, and surgical complications of pregnancy
To provide the fellows with the skills to become a consultant to other health care providers in their management of all obstetric patients with special emphasis on those with high-risk pregnancies and their at-risk fetuses
To provide the fellows with the ability to tactfully work well with other consultants and with their peers
To develop skills in managing and delivering care in a high-volume, complex care clinical setting.

Research

To provide the necessary skills to enable the fellow to initiate, implement, and successfully carry out a research project, collate the results, and write a manuscript
To provide sound fundamental knowledge and aptitude in both laboratory and clinical research to allow the fellow to undertake meaningful investigations as a fellow, and subsequently as a sub-specialist
To provide the competence and experience to the fellows so that they can make successful applications for research grants
To provide the knowledge that will enable the fellow to critically evaluate the scientific literature and apply it to the clinical practice of Obstetrics.

Teaching

To provide the basic information and technical proficiency so the fellow can present seminars and lectures in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, courses at the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists sponsored events, courses the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine events, and international symposiums
To acquire and incorporate fundamental knowledge with the ability to constantly update and refine that knowledge to ensure the best evidence-based information is used in the fellows’ personal management of the patients and in their consultations to other health care professionals
To prepare the fellow for a lifetime of teaching that will accompany their academic career: from patients and their families to medical students, residents, fellows, and colleagues
To provide the fellow with skills in educating in multidisciplinary and dispersed teaming settings utilizing teleconference technology