We are one of the only programs in the country to offer a longitudinal curriculum intended to give fellows various experiences throughout their week that build on each other week to week. This structure is ideal for providing feedback to the fellow on progressive independence throughout the duration of their fellowship. This structure also simulates the day-to-day experiences of being an academic faculty.
Year One
First-year fellows rotate through labor and delivery, ultrasound, reproductive genetics, preconceptional consultation clinic, and diabetes management clinic. Fellow rotations occur at three clinical sites during this year and follow a longitudinal schedule. Fellows also complete two 4-week blocks as "Labor and Delivery Directors” and a 4-week block in the medical and surgical ICU. In addition, fellows have the option to enter a tuition-free Master in Clinical Science program, with classes beginning during their first year and continuing throughout the fellowship. If needed, fellows are encouraged to apply and collect cases for the ABOG general oral board exam this year.
Year Two and Three
The second and third years of fellowship consist of 3-month blocks of clinical time alternating with 3-month blocks of dedicated research time. Fellow rotations occur at four clinical sites during these years.
During the 3-month clinical block, fellows rotate through basic and advanced fetal echocardiography, MFM continuity clinics, advanced ultrasound and fetal therapy, and research (if pursuing an advanced degree). During the 3-month research block, fellows spend the majority of their time dedicated to research activities with minimal clinical commitments (one-half day per week in their MFM continuity clinic).
Fellow Call
Fellows alternate weekly MFM calls from home with a supervising faculty throughout their fellowship. During their week of call, fellows work with a 3rd-year in-house resident at UConn John Dempsey Hospital to answer calls about transports and manage the antepartum service. Fellows are also required to take renumerated generalist OB/GYN calls throughout their fellowship (1-2 twelve-hour shifts per month) to allow them to maintain their skill set. Obtaining general obstetrics and gynecology board certification (i.e., oral board completion) is strongly encouraged during the fellowship if needed.
Fellow Research
Fellows complete at least one thesis-level project for graduation to allow eligibility for the MFM oral boards; however, most will complete several. They are encouraged to attend and present at national meetings and receive a generous stipend. All fellows are encouraged to attend the SMFM meeting annually. Fellows are also encouraged to pursue advanced coursework to aid in research or pursue an advanced degree if desired. In partnership with the Department of Public Health, we offer a tuition-free Master's in Clinical and Translational Science degree. Fellows interested in an academic career are also encouraged to complete the NICHD Clinician-Scientist Investigator Curriculum. Fellows can be nominated and funded to attend the NICHD Perinatal Research Society Young Investigator Workshop in their first or second year. Fellows attend the SMFM Fellow's Retreat and Reproductive Genetics and Critical Care course, as scheduled by year.
Fellow Educational Curriculum
Our educational curriculum is very robust. Most conferences include faculty from all four sites and other specialists and team members to ensure care coordination and multidisciplinary input into care. Highlights of our educational curriculum include:
- Weekly Departmental Grand Rounds (with residents, generalist faculty)
- Twice-monthly Prenatal Diagnosis ultrasound conference for all complex anomaly patients (with NICU, fetal MRI team, fetal cardiology, fetal care coordinators, sonographers, and pediatric ENT)
- Weekly Maternal Care Coordination and Fetal Care Coordination conference to discuss and coordinate complex care of MFM patients (with fellows, RNs, social workers, L&D nurses, and neonatology)
- Monthly Quality and Safety Conference with a review of all poor perinatal outcomes
- Monthly perinatal pathology conference
- Monthly MFM-NICU conference
- Monthly MFM journal club
- Weekly fellowship didactics with core MFM faculty and SMFM fellows webinar series
- Quarterly obstetrical skills simulation with MFM faculty (to train on amniocentesis, CVS, IUT/PUBS, and cerclage placement)
- Monthly research meetings with the program director
- Monthly fetal congenital heart disease conference, led by the Connecticut Children's Pediatric Cardiology team
Elective Time
Our fellowship is flexible to allow for individual career goals but also to meet or exceed all ACGME requirements for graduation. The second and third years are flexible to the fellows' interests and career goals. Up to six months of elective time is available for research, further clinical experiences, fetal therapy, or other options tailored to the fellows' needs.
Rotation Sites
UConn Health
UConn John Dempsey Hospital is a tertiary care center in Farmington, a suburban campus west of Hartford. There are, on average, 1,100+ deliveries per year. The inpatient MFM service has, on average, 300 antenatal admissions annually. The MFM antepartum service supports a Placental Accreta Spectrum (PAS) Center of Excellence in coordination with the Division of Gynecologic Oncology. The PAS team manages over 30 patients at risk for accreta and performs an average of 10 cesarean hysterectomies annually. The MFM service performs, on average, 20 McDonald, Shirodkar, or robotic transabdominal cerclage placements annually. The UConn Health High-Risk Pregnancy Center comprises 6 MFM faculty, 1 MFM APRN, two genetic counselors, two high-risk nurses, six sonographers, and four medical assistants and performs over 3,000 imaging studies and 1500 ambulatory consultations for regional practitioners, including over 150 periconceptional consults annually. In addition, the High-Risk Pregnancy Center supports genetic counseling and outpatient antenatal diagnostic services and performs over 50 invasive procedures (e.g., CVS, amniocentesis, PUBS/IUT) annually.
Hartford Hospital
Hartford Hospital is a tertiary care center located in downtown Harford and part of the Hartford HealthCare System. There are 3900+ deliveries per year. In Hartford Hospital, the Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine manages an average of 391 antenatal admissions, provides 7,000 consults (inpatient and outpatient) for regional practitioners annually, and performs over 5500 imaging studies annually, with 14,000 seen within the healthcare system. The MFM division comprises ten faculty, 2 genetic counselors, 6 high-risk nurses, 12 sonographers, and 4 medical assistants. In addition, the Prenatal Diagnosis Center supports genetic counseling and outpatient antenatal diagnostic services and performs approximately 100 invasive procedures (e.g., CVS, amniocentesis, PUBS/IUT) annually.
Trinity Of New England - Saint Francis Hospital
Saint Francis Hospital is a tertiary care center located in downtown Hartford. There are 2400+ deliveries per year. The Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine manages antenatal admissions, provides consults (inpatient and outpatient) for regional practitioners annually, and performs imaging studies annually. The division comprises 4 MFM faculty, genetic counselors, high-risk nurses, sonographers, and medical assistants. In addition, the Prenatal Diagnosis Center supports genetic counseling and outpatient antenatal diagnostic services and performs over 45 invasive procedures (e.g., CVS, amniocentesis, PUBS/IUT) annually.
Connecticut Children’s
Connecticut Children’s is a tertiary care center located in downtown Hartford. The Division of Pediatric Cardiology provides ambulatory consults for regional practitioners and performs over 6800 imaging studies annually. The division is comprised of 4 Pediatric Cardiology faculty. In addition, the Connecticut Children's Fetal Care Center (FCC), led by world-renowned fetal surgeon Dr. Timothy Cromblehombe, supports a comprehensive approach to the evaluation and treatment of fetal conditions, including those conditions that may require prenatal intervention, either in the form of open fetal surgery, fetoscopic surgery, or ultrasound-guided fetal intervention. The FCC is comprised of experts in fetal surgery, cardiology, cardiac surgery, fetal imaging, genetics, neonatology, nephrology, neurology, neurosurgery, otolaryngology, surgery, and urology.