Maternal-fetal medicine

Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine offers a four-week elective rotation in maternal-fetal medicine with the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department in Danville, Pa.

The MFM sub-I is designed for the student interested in pursuing a career in obstetrics and gynecology. This rotation provides an immersive experience in high-risk obstetrics at a tertiary care setting. Additional components of this rotation involve exposure to genetic counseling, testing and ultrasonography techniques. The student will function as part of the multidisciplinary care team for the patient in both the inpatient and outpatient settings. Much of the teaching is 1-on-1 with the MFM consultant or fellow. The overall goal of this rotation is to gain an appreciation of the management of the complicated obstetric patient in a high-risk tertiary setting.

Geisinger offers a Maternal-Fetal Medicine Fellowship.

Learning objectives

By the end of the rotation, you will:

• Gather and interpret health information from the medical record to better understand the background of the patient’s presenting concern   
• Develop a succinct way to present the antepartum patients to the labor and delivery attending and the maternal-fetal medicine service physicians
• Correctly interpret non-stress tests according to ACOG guidelines and definitions
• Identify management of common problems encountered during pregnancy as an outpatient:
• Endocrinopathy in pregnancy 
• Placental or amniotic fluid abnormality
• Fetal growth abnormality
• Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy
• Social factors impacting patient’s access to medical care
• Understand the components of an anatomy/growth ultrasound and observe the steps taken for a sonographer to capture these images
• Understand the use of ultrasound in the setting of genetic screening, confirming findings suggestive of the genetic condition 
• Verbalize types, indications, limitations and medical uses of the available genetic screening tests (first trimester screen, quad screen, non-invasive prenatal testing)