Women’s Health and Gender Based Care Track

 

Purpose:

To integrate a focus on gender-specific care and women’s health into Internal Medicine or Med-Peds residency training beyond that of the categorical residents.

 

Overview:

Female patients are present in all clinical disciplines, therefore, internal medicine residency is a perfect opportunity to develop the cross-discipline skills needed to provide evidence-based care to women. The Women’s Health and Gender Based Care Track at the University of Chicago provides expertise on health issues unique to, more prevent in or that may present differently in women. The Women’s Health Track will help to provide additional training opportunities on these gender-specific topics while still addressing the other core topics of Internal Medicine or Med-Peds training.

This track is a post-match option for residents to join after their intern year. The track is open to all residents regardless of future fellowship plans as these skills can be transferred to any specialty. For residents interested in primary care this track can be combined with the LUCENT primary care leadership tack. Participants will receive additional clinical experience, mentoring and opportunities for scholarly work in women’s health and gender-focused care. This track is targeted at developing leaders in women’s health and advocates for female patients and providers in whatever specialty they pursue.

 

Goals:

  1. Develop leaders in women’s health and gender-focused care in Internal Medicine and Med-Peds residencies.
  2. Residents in the track will develop an understanding of the social, reproductive and physiologic concerns unique to women by applying the lens of gender to the primary and subspecialty care of these patients.
  3. Residents will be able to confidently perform a pelvic and breast exam for female patients as well as treat the core gender-specific conditions as outlined by the ABIM.
  4. Residents will be able to provide preventative counseling for gender-specific issues like breast cancer screening and family planning.
  5. Residents will have additional opportunities to participate in scholarly work in women’s health, sexual health and gender-focused care.

 

Program Highlights:

  • Additional clinical exposure to core women’s health topics including pelvic and breast exams, counseling patients on contraception, managing menstrual dysfunction, PCOS, adolescent medicine, STDs and vaginitis, preventative health in women, managing menopause symptoms, mental health issues in women including intimate partner violence and perform trauma-informed care
  • Exposure to gynecologic procedure such as IUD and Nexplanon placement
  • Additional one-on-one mentoring with women’s health faculty
  • Opportunities and support for scholarly work in women’s health including research, QI, and educational initiatives

 

Schedule Overview:

Schedules are individualized and the structure will differ for LUCENT and Med-Peds residents

PGY2:

  • ½ day subspecialty while on ambulatory with women’s health focus (ex: cancer risk clinic, breast cancer survivor clinic, adolescent medicine, osteoporosis clinic, etc)
  • 1 half-day per ambulatory block in PCG women’s care clinic with Dr. Rusiecki
  • 2 weeks of women’s health elective or adolescent med
  • Present a Women’s Health Morning Report

PGY3:

  • 4 weeks of women’s health elective (typically split into 2, 2-week blocks)
  • 1 half-day per ambulatory block in women’s care clinic with Dr. Rusiecki
  • Present at the Quarterly Women’s Health Update

 

PCG Women’s Care Clinic (WCC):

The PCG WCC is an additional service available to patients in the primary care group. Providers can refer patients to the WCC for assistance in managing conditions unique to female patients. Common issues seen in the WCC include contraception counseling, IUD/implant placement, pap screening, breast cancer risk assessment, managing menopause symptoms, vaginitis, menstrual irregularities and medical issues related to eating disorders. Dr. Rusiecki directs this clinic and residents in the track will have additional opportunities to learn about the primary care of women through this clinic.

 

Elective Options:

  • Breast cancer prevention and care of patients at high-risk for cancer
  • Eating disorder care
  • Menopause clinic
  • General gynecology
  • Trauma-informed care and the care of female prisoners
  • Family planning
  • Osteoporosis
  • Care of the breast cancer survivor
  • Pelvic pain and physical therapy
  • Urogyn and incontinence
  • Adolescent medicine
  • Heart disease in women

 

Program Leadership:

Director – Jen Rusiecki

Core women’s health faculty – Julie Oyler, Nabil Abou Baker, Andrew Davis, Amber Pincavage, Rita Rossi-Foulkes, Sachin Shah, Mim Ari, Kamala Cotts, Diane Altkorn, Anna Volerman, Susan Nasr

 

How to apply:

Residents should contact Jen Rusiecki (jrusiecki@medicine.bsd.uchicago.edu) to meet and discuss their involvement in the track in the spring of their intern year.

 

Women’s Health and Gender Based Care Track Presentation 2020