Maine Medical Center
bannerobgynresidency

Didactics

Didactics are extremely important to the measured learning in a residency program and we are committed to providing didactics in a protected environment. Dr. Toby Fitzgerald, Assistant Program Director works with one PGY-4 per year who has been appointed “Didactics Chief” to allow for significant resident input into the two year curriculum, based on the CREOG Educational Objectives. Protected didactics occur every Wednesday morning from 7:30-10:30 and are on a two year rotating curriculum that does change to adapt to updated goals from CREOG and the local needs and interests of the residents themselves. Recent changes have included additional focus on cultural competency as well as further training and education in Medication Assisted Training for patients battling opioid addiction. Residents are relieved of their pagers for this time to allow full them to fully focus on learning and clinical services are covered by faculty and/or APPs. One session per month (on average) is focused on simulation. Many of these sessions take place off-site at the Hannaford Center for Safety, Innovation and Simulation, where simulation models are utilized to review procedures and anatomy. Dr. Caroline Foust-Wright, Associate Program Director oversees the Simulation learning.

On Friday mornings, the department conducts additional educational activities, including weekly GYN Oncology Tumor Board, monthly Grand Rounds, monthly Morbidity and Mortality conferences in both obstetrics and gynecology, and a monthly "Evidence Based Medicine" conference, our updated take on Journal Club. This resident led conference presents clinically relevant, practice changing articles to the entire department with the help of an epidemiologist.
  • Wednesday Mornings
    • 7:30-10:30
      • Weekly Rotating Didactic Conferences: Perinatal, Reproductive, Endocrine, Urologic Gynecology, Genetics, Obstetrics/Gynecology
      • (Monthly) Simulation didactics at Hannaford Center for Safety, Innovation and Simulation
      • (Months with a 5th Wednesday, 4X a year) – Resident Wellness sessions (protected)
  • Thursday mornings
    • 7:30-8:30 Weekly Oncology didactic session
  • Friday Mornings
    • 7-8am (Concurrent):
      • Oncology Interdisciplinary Tumor Board
      • Maternal Fetal Medicine case conference
    • 8-9 Departmental Rotating conferences
      • Mortality and morbidity conference (monthly)
      • Grand Rounds (1-2 per month)
      • Evidence-based medicine conference, in which residents choose a clinical question then search the literature to find the best article to answer their question. Residents select a faculty sponsor then analyze the article and make a judgment as to whether the article was compelling enough to consider changing clinical practice.