Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency

Houston Methodist’s Obstetrics and Gynecology (OB-GYN) residency offers an outstanding educational opportunity due to our dedicated and knowledgeable team of specialists in the field. We offer the latest in research, medical innovations in medical, surgical and diagnostic techniques, and an unparalleled commitment to patient care. We aim to maintain a standard of excellence that promises only the best care for our patients and, therefore, only the best education for our medical students and residents. 

Program Overview

Our OB-GYN residency program combines the strengths of a university program with the diversity of a community program. We have strong ties with three different medical schools, including Weill Cornell Medical College, Texas A&M University the University of Houston College of Medicine with an emphasis in academics and research. Residents rotate through two general hospitals and are exposed to an expansive clinical experience.

Gynecologic surgical instruction is a very important part of the training of the Obstetrician-Gynecologist. We take pride in having some of the finest gynecological surgeons on faculty, along with our surgical training laboratory, simulators and technical equipment, which enable cutting-edge education. Danielle Antosh, MD, is director of the Houston Methodist Pelvic Floor Reconstructive Program, which is a collaboration between gynecology, urogynecology, colorectal surgery, plastic surgery and urology in caring for women with complex gynecological surgical conditions. The da Vinci systems allow the programs PGY4 residents the opportunity to be certified in Robotic Surgery upon graduation.

Program Highlights

The OB-GYN residency also includes unique offerings that include faculty mentoring, retreats, specialized rotations, funding for research presentations and access to Houston Methodist’s Institute for Technology, Innovation & Education (MITIE) facilities. Below are some highlights of our unique OB-GYN residency program:

• Mentorship Program: Each resident is assigned a faculty member as a mentor to assist in adapting to the pressures of residency and to offer a safe and relaxed setting for career discussion and advice. 
• Resident Retreat: Twice a year, residents engage in a resident-only all-day retreat for the purpose of team building, communication and building morale. This is a completely resident-directed event. 
• Chief Resident Continuity Rotation: Residents need to progressively become more autonomous, eventually working toward evaluating and managing their own patients. To help the adjustment to independent practice, each chief resident has a two-month rotation where they evaluate gynecologic patients in the outpatient setting and make decisions for therapy. 
• Funding for Resident Research Presentations: Residents who have their research accepted to regional or national conferences are presenting their research via virtual meetings. In the past, residents have presented to national conferences such as the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the Association of Professors in Gynecology and Obstetrics, the American Associaton of Gynecologic Laparoscopists, the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Society of Gynecologic Surgeons, American Urogynecologic Society, and the American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology.  
• MITIE Skills Laboratory: The Houston Methodist Institute for Technology, Innovation & Education (MITIE) houses a comprehensive training facility for teaching both open and laparoscopic surgical skills, flexible endoscopy, and critical care procedures, such as airway management, central line placement and invasive cardiac monitoring. Residents are given access, so that each can work at their own pace and on their own schedule. 
• Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery (FLS): Each resident will complete the FLS certification prior to graduation as required by the American Board of Obstetrics & Gynecology. Trainers are located at both Methodist and St. Joseph Medical Center for resident use. FLS training is held monthly at Houston Methodist. 
• Robotics: Robotics lectures are held once a month at Houston Methodist. 

Residency applications and the additional items below must be submitted through the ResidencyCAS Program where we are listed as Houston Methodist Hospital. Houston Methodist Hospital OB-GYN Residency Program is a participant in the National Residency Match Program (NRMP). No applications will be reviewed or accepted outside of the NRMP.

Application Requirements

• Medical school academic transcript (including a dean's letter)
• Curriculum vitae
• USMLE scores are required (must possess a pass and no previous fails)
• Three letters of recommendation
• Personal statement
• Valid ECFMG certificate/J-1 visa (if applicable)
• Observerships are not offered

Criteria

Applicants for residency must have graduated from medical school within three years and meet one of the following criteria:

• Graduates of medical schools in the U.S. and Canada accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME).
• Graduates of colleges of osteopathic medicine in the U.S. accredited by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA).
• Graduates of medical schools outside of the U.S. and Canada or Graduates of medical schools outside the U.S. who have completed the Fifth Pathway program provided by an LCME-accredited medical school who meet the following qualifications:
  • Hold a current valid certificate from the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG).
  • Have a J-1 Visa or is a U.S. citizen, a naturalized U.S. citizen or permanent resident

Responsibility

Houston Methodist is committed to improving the health of our patients, employees, and communities around us. As a health care provider, it’s our responsibility to promote a healthier environment for our employees.

• Drug and Tobacco Screening- Job seekers will be tested for nicotine and drug usage during the post-offer physical. If a job seeker tests positive for nicotine use, including nicotine gum and patches, the offer will be rescinded, and individuals will be given the opportunity to participate in a free Houston Methodist-provided tobacco cessation program. Job seekers wishing to reapply after testing positive for nicotine may do so 90 days after the date the initial offer was rescinded. If the job seeker tests positive for drug use, the offer will be rescinded. Job seekers wishing to reapply after the drug screening is positive may do so one year after the date the initial offer was rescinded.
• Background Check - Prior to employment start date, job seekers must complete a criminal background check.

Interview Selection Process

• ALL Applications can be submitted through ResidencyCAS for the NRMP 2025 match
• Interview slots fill up quickly, so it is highly recommended that you submit early since interviews are granted on a first come-first served basis
• All information must be submitted prior to an application being reviewed
• Interviews are by invitation only (if you have been selected, we will contact you with the interview date and time)
• Application deadline is September 25th, 2024
  • No applications will be accepted or reviewed after the deadline
• All interviews for the 2025 match will be done virtually per the AAMC & ACOG guidelines using the Zoom platform. Applicants chosen to interview will be notified October 29th, 2024 via email at the email address provided in ERAS. Our program DOES NOT extend more interview invites than we have interview openings for. We will allow applicants 48 hours to respond to any interview offer. If we have any applicants who decline an interview, we will extend an offer to an applicant on our waitlist. Please know that due to the amount of qualified applications that we receive we cannot interview everyone. If you do not receive an interview invite please know that we review all applications carefully and we can only interview a certain number of applicants. Each interview day will have three interview sessions.

*All interview dates will include a resident virtual social the evening before your interview.

Interviews dates for 2025 are:

• November 11
• November 18
• November 25
• December 2
• December 9
• December 16

Learning Resources

Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency Learning Resources

Educational conferences are intended to provide residents with an evidence-based approach to OB-GYN education. Conferences are presented, in part, by faculty, residents and visiting professors.

Morning Report

Weekday mornings are highly interactive with case-based discussion reviews on the cases from the night before to address evidence-based approaches to patient care, discussion of options in therapy, and identification of basic science and clinical aspects of the clinical cases. Residents receive timely feedback on their patient management. The most current literature is reviewed. Residents are taught to think critically, integrate clinical information, produce a differential diagnosis and logical plan, and tailor the best therapeutic plan for the patient.

Simulator Curriculum

Several simulators are used to teach resident key surgical and technical skills, including breech vaginal deliveries, forceps and vacuum. Additionally, several laparoscopic simulators allow residents to gain expertise with laparoscopic instruments outside of the operating room.

Mock Orals Exams

Residents at all levels participate in mock oral examinations given by Houston Methodist’s obstetrics and gynecology faculty. These mock examinations prepare upper-level residents for the certifying examination of The American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Chief/Attending Rounds

Each day, in chief/attending rounds, residents and medical students present their cases to core faculty who are supervising. The faculty member then takes the residents and medical students through the cases to develop diagnoses and establish treatment plans.

Comprehensive OB-GYN Curriculum

The Council on Resident Education in Obstetrics and Gynecologists (CREOG) and the Association of Professors in Gynecology and Obstetrics (APGO) publish a listing of patient care topics that should be covered over the four-year residency in OB-GYN. Assigned reading is given, with weekly quizzes to assure mastery. The answers to the quizzes are reviewed each week.

Morbidity and Mortality Conference

The Morbidity and Mortality Conference is a key teaching conference, during which complications are presented by residents and discussed by faculty and residents. The complications presented are discussed with an emphasis on the current literature and are designed to promote an educational discussion.

Journal Club

Journal Club is held at least once a month, and topics center on the presentation of new clinical and scientific information. Each month, two residents are responsible for presenting the articles. Faculty are present to aid in the discussion of the articles.

Grand Rounds

Grand rounds are designed to keep surgeons and other healthcare professionals abreast of new surgical knowledge, surgical procedures and patient care issues. This weekly conference is presented by senior residents, surgical faculty, non-surgical faculty and visiting professors.

Discipline Specific Conferences

In addition to the aforementioned conferences, Houston Methodist offers numerous discipline-specific conferences, including those on breast, pathology, cervical cytology and gynecologic oncology.

Root Cause Analysis (RCA)

Residents are encouraged to serve on the Hospital Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Committees as well as participate in RCA's. The GME office will assign certain residency programs to have residents present at Root Cause Analysis meetings for educational purposes.