Frequently Asked Questions

Each year at our interview sessions, we are asked many of the same questions about our residents and the residency program. Many of these questions are answered on this FAQ page.

How many residents are there in the program, and where do they come from?

There are 32 residents in the program, and we plan to take eight residents (through the Match) this year. Current residents came to us from the following medical schools:

PGY-4	University of Rochester (2), University of Washington (2), Boston University, Creighton University, University of Massachusetts, and University of Pittsburgh
PGY-3	Wake Forest University, University of Rochester, University of Washington (2), University of Western Ontario, University of Minnesota-Minneapolis, and Oregon Health & Sciences University
PGY-2	University of Washington, University of Buffalo SUNY, University of Virginia, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Keck School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine, and University of Pittsburgh
PGY-1	University of Rochester (2), State University of Syracuse College of Medicine (2), University of Washington, University of Buffalo SUNY, University of Minnesota Medical School, and Southern Illinois University School of Medicine

If you would like the names and/or phone numbers of any these people, we would be glad to provide them.

What do the residents do after they graduate?

See what our residents do after graduation!

What happens at night?

At Strong Memorial Hospital: All services are covered by a night float team (R4, R3, R2, and R1) from approximately 5 p.m. to 7 a.m., starting with a 24-hour call on Sunday and ending on Friday at 7 a.m. The obstetrics day team covers overnight on Friday night, and the Saturday team is comprised of residents on various outpatient rotations.

At Highland Hospital: A night float team of three residents (comprised of two OB/GYN residents and one family medicine resident) makes up the call team each night from 5 p.m. to 7 a.m., starting on Sunday and ending on Friday at 7 a.m. Ambulatory teams who are excused from clinical duties on Friday during the day shift cover Friday and Saturday nights. We are in compliance with New York State and national regulations regarding residents' working hours.

Are there really no 24-hour calls?

There are no 24-hour calls. Night calls are from 5 p.m. until 7 a.m. Days are from 7 a.m. (coming in no earlier than 6 a.m. to pre-round) until 5 p.m.

How often do I go to clinic?

Each resident attends his or her continuity clinic one-half day per week. Various rotations also incorporate specialty clinic time; for example, the ambulatory residents attend high-risk OB clinic, colposcopy clinic, pediatric clinic, pelvic pain clinic, with optional involvement in the contraception and family planning clinic.

How much surgery do the residents get to do?

On the Gynecology service, 100% of operative cases have a resident as the primary surgeon or first assistant by both full-time and private attending. Resident cases (clinic patients) constitute 28% of the surgery. At our most recent residency review, the average chief resident leaving the program performed 86 abdominal hysterectomies and 28 vaginal hysterectomies, plus a similar number of major cases that did not involve hysterectomy. There is also a high volume of major operative laparoscopy cases.

How big is the obstetrics service and how many deliveries will I do? How about breeches and midforceps?

We do 3,000+ deliveries at Strong Memorial Hospital, plus another 3,000 at Highland Hospital. Twenty percent of these deliveries are clinic patients. Residents deliver all private and clinic patients. The chief resident serves as the attending on all clinic deliveries. About 20% are cesarean sections, all of which are done by the residents. There are few vaginal breeches and few midforceps deliveries; this reflects the standard of practice in Upstate New York. However, there are still approximately 150 outlet forceps deliveries per year and roughly 50 breech deliveries of second twins. There are seven MFM full-time faculty, one MFM specialist on the private staff, and three MFM fellows.

What about the Human Reproduction and Infertility service?

There are five attending physicians who specialize in reproductive medicine and infertility. Residents on the REI work closely with the attending physicians. The residents are expected to cover all REI procedures (Monday through Thursday) during their rotation. This includes abdominal procedures, as well as hysteroscopy and hysterosalpingograms. The department opened its IVF center, with office and OR space devoted exclusively to IVF, in 1984. We perform more than 200 retrievals per year. There are highly successful microfertilization and donor egg programs. Residents participate in all the activities of the IVF program. There are no REI fellows.

Are there rounds and conferences each week?

Grand Rounds are held weekly on Thursday mornings. Thursday mornings after Grand Rounds (from 9:00 - 11:00 a.m.) are devoted to resident teaching. Interns have their own set of lectures at this time for the first month of residency to review intern-specific topics. There is a weekly REI conference held to review basic topics in REI. A weekly joint neonatology and obstetrics conference takes place to review outcomes, plans, and management of complicated cases. There is also a monthly review of fetal monitoring, plus four journal clubs throughout the year.

How many faculty members are there?

There are 29 full-time members of the OB/GYN faculty who are Obstetrician-Gynecologists. They are available to you and are involved in your education on a full-time basis. In addition, there are 45 part-time members of the OB/GYN faculty.

Are there fellowships, and how do fellows interact with the residents? Do they steal my cases?

Oncology—There are no fellows. Residents perform all cases.
MFM—There is one fellow per year at Strong Memorial Hospital. Functions as the MFM attending on call and does not interfere with the chief residents' experience on obstetrics.
REI—There are no fellows. All cases are preformed by residents with the exception of egg retrievals, which are preformed by faculty.
Urogynecology—There are currently two urogynecology fellows.

If I come to Rochester, will I still be able to have time for my family and friends?

Rochester is in full compliance with the New York State and federal regulations on work hours. In addition, the maximum call at Strong Memorial Hospital is Q7. On weekends, both hospitals use a "house rounds" system; therefore, only the call team comes in on weekend days (with the exception of oncology).

Does anyone have children in residency?

Nine of our current residents have had or are having children in residency.