The PGY-1 year is designed to lay a strong foundation in the principles of medicine and surgery which are so critical to excellence in patient care. You will rotate through Internal Medicine, Intensive Care, General Surgery and Gynecologic Oncology clinics as well as Obstetrics and Gynecology. The two elective months may be used to develop an area of personal interest such as Anesthesia, Pediatrics, Emergency Medicine, Urology, etc.
The second year of the program represents the steepest learning curve in core obstetrics and gynecology. During this intense year the resident masters the essential surgical skills of cesarean section, operative vaginal delivery, hysterectomy, laparoscopy and hysteroscopy. You will develop the confidence to assess and manage obstetrical emergencies such as obstructed labour, shoulder dystocia, cord prolapse, antepartum hemorrhage, and malpresentation. There are two tertiary care hospitals in Winnipeg providing a rich variety of clinical experience with over 5,000 deliveries per year at each site. At least one attending physician is present on-site at all times to ensure that the resident is able to hone his/her skills under the guidance of an experienced clinician. Our residency program boasts a strong teaching commitment on the part our clinical faculty. Both community physicians and geographic fulltime faculty have demonstrated that they recognize the resident as an essential part of the team. Opportunities for skill development are given often and early. By working together on the frontline, a strong reciprocal relationship is forged among the residents and the attending physicians. A one-month research rotation has been added to this year. The resident identifies a case study and pursues a research interest which will lead to a completed project over the course of the residency program.
In PGY-3 the resident is expected to expand and build on the basic skills mastered in the previous year and, at the same time, develop career plans for the future. Three months of elective time are available. Many residents choose to go off-site in order to gain a different perspective and/or special skills. The 3-month Maternal Fetal Medicine rotation provides the resident with opportunities to manage high risk antenatal patients and master ultrasound scanning. Outpatient clinic experiences in both Obstetrics and Gynecology are required. The blended rotation in Pediatric/Adolescent Gynecology and Family Planning promotes clinical skill development in the ambulatory care setting. Residents are strongly encouraged to take advantage of opportunities to attend gynecological surgeries at community hospitals and travel to Northern and remote sites in order to enrich their experience.
The fourth year of the Program is designed to assist the resident in the mastery of complex surgical skills including minimally invasive surgery, vaginal surgery and surgery for malignancy. During the three-month rotations in Reproductive Endocrinology and Gynecological Oncology, the resident is exposed to a wide variety of challenging clinical problems in these subspecialty areas. One month of Urogynecology provides the resident with experience in vaginal surgery and treatment of incontinence and prolapse. Elective time helps the resident round-out career planning and skill development. In the spring, the PGY-4 resident assumes the role of chief in order develop administrative competencies.
The PGY-5 year consolidates the clinical competencies required of a skilled consultant and provides the chief resident with the independence in high-level problem-solving. A cornerstone of this process is the Chief Clinic. The resident chooses an attending physician under whose mentorship the resident will function as a junior consultant. The resident is expected to develop a “practice within a practice” at the mentor’s ambulatory clinic. New patients are seen in consultation. Medical and surgical treatment options are negotiated. The resident is responsible for communicating with the referring physician and for the longitudinal care of his/her patients including surgery and postoperative care over the course of the PGY-5 year. The chief residents are also expected to fill leadership roles on the in-patient services at the two teaching hospitals where they function as clinical experts, role models and teachers for the junior housestaff. The final two rotations before the Royal College examinations are devoted to examination preparation. Two weeks are spent in interactive small group teaching sessions which systematically review pathology in gynecology and obstetrics. The remaining six weeks are devoted to consultation clinics, teaching rounds, selected seminars and independent study.
