Obstetrics & Gynecology Residency

Department Chairman: Richard Leach, M.D.
Program Director: Monique Swain, M.D.
Associate Program Director: D'Angela Pitts, M.D.
Residency Coordinator: Rosalind Gerich, (313) 916-1023

The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology offers an ACGME fully accredited four-year residency program for five residents per year. Our 35+ member faculty participates in resident education and training in supervisory and didactic roles. All physician faculty are board certified by ABOG. The residency program has full accreditation from the American Council of Graduate Medical Education and the Residency Review Committee. Upon completion of the training program, the physician qualifies to practice as a specialist in obstetrics and gynecology and is eligible to take the examination given by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

The department has sub-specialists in Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospitalists, Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Gynecologic Oncology, Female Pelvic Medicine & Reconstructive Surgery, Reproductive Endocrinology, Minimally Invasive Gynecology Surgery, Benign Breast, Genetics, Pelvic Pain Clinic, and Family Planning and Ryan Program.

Both clinical and laboratory research opportunities are available to the residents. Continuity clinics begin in the first year and continue throughout the entire four years of the residency program

The obstetrics department at Henry Ford Hospital contains:

• A three-bed triage area - approximately 6,600 visits
• eight-bed antenatal unit
• 12-bed Labor/Delivery/Recovery (LDR) unit - 2,200 deliveries per year
• A 20-bed postpartum unit
• a 30-bassinette Level III NICU service

The obstetrical attending staff coverage service is supported by 24-hour in-hospital:

• Anesthesia
• Radiology
• Laboratory
• Blood bank
• Neonatology
• Medicine
• Surgery

Continuity Clinic

Under the supervision of their clinic preceptor, residents will develop an ambulatory patient panel of their own. These patients will view the resident as their primary care provider, and the resident will direct and manage their care for the duration of their time in the clinic.

Didactics & Teaching Program

The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology provides a rigorous educational program for the residents, students, and faculty. The residents are provided with protected teaching time every Wednesday from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. including faculty presentations (remove) and monthly grand rounds incorporating teaching cases, journal club and M & M conference.

Additional regularly scheduled conferences include: 

• Journal Club (Monthly)
• Grand Rounds (Monthly)
• Resident Lecture (Weekly)
• Maternal Fetal Medicine Conference (Monthly)
• Maternal Critical Care Conference (Monthly)
• Morbidity & Mortality Conference (3 times Month)
• Tumor Board
• Genetics Conference 
• DEI Conference (monthly)
• Equality, Inclusion and Diversity Committee
• Wellness Curriculum
• Schwartz Center Rounds
• A series of laparoscopic surgery lectures including simulation labs with pelvic trainers
• The OB/GYN residency program at Henry Ford Hospital does not use animals for training purposes, and instead uses advanced human patient simulators and other non-animal methods.

Diversity always will be the foundation on which Henry Ford Health stands. We value and embrace the wealth of diversity reflected in our patients, their families, our providers and residents, our workforce and partners, and the many diverse communities we serve.

Unique Programs

• System-wide Healthcare Equity Campaign, focused on raising awareness, improving cross cultural communication, and integrating changes into system policies.
• Institute on Multicultural Health (IOMH) is working to develop effective and innovative approaches to providing quality healthcare to underrepresented racial and ethnic populations who are disproportionately affected by serious and chronic medical conditions
• Multiple training opportunities for health system leaders and team members in health care equity, culturally appropriate care, and diversity and inclusion topics including Unconscious Bias training
• Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) for women, veterans, caregivers, individuals living with a disability, Hispanic/Latino, Middle Eastern, African American, Millennials, and LGBTQ team members.
• A supplier diversity program nationally recognized for fostering the growth of small, women-owned, and minority-owned businesses

Academic Conferences

Residents receive support to attend academic conferences if they are presenting a paper or an abstract in which they are listed as the first author.

• American Association of Gynecological Laparoscopists (AAGL)
• American Congress of OB/GYN (ACOG) 
• The Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO)
• Association of Professors of Gynecology & Obstetrics (APGO/CREOG)
• The Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM) 
• American Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery (ASRM)
• National Medical Association Annual Conference (NMA)

Certifications

• Essentials in Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery (EMIGS)
• Neonatal Resuscitation Certification (optional)
• Robotic Training Network (RTN): residents are robotic trained through PGY-1 – PGY-4

Research Projects

Henry Ford Health is nationally-recognized for both clinical and basic research. Our academic health center is the leading non-university recipient of research funding ($80 million) in Michigan and is in the top 20% of NIH-funded institutions nationally. Hands-on research experience complements resident education in Women’s Health; thus, every resident is expected to finalize one resident research project with a manuscript and oral presentation. Mentorship, protected time on selected rotations during the PGY-2-PGY-4 years, and both funding- and biostatistician-support are available through GME.

View additional information and details on individual resident research

Resident Wellness

With the leadership of Dr. Lisa MacLean, past Program Director for Psychiatry and Assistant Dean for Students, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Henry Ford is using a The Physician Well-being Index, developed by the Mayo Clinic, to allow physicians to self-monitor themselves. This is being complemented by monthly “Wellness Rounds”. The “We Care” program is intended to help physicians and physicians in training is to maintain optimal health and well-being through education (strategies to maintain health and wellness), peer support, timely assessment of needs, and resources for healing.

The “We Care” Physician Wellness Program demonstrates a commitment to the well-being of our physicians in helping them achieve greater satisfaction in their careers and in their personal lives.