Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery

Purpose and Rationale for the Course: The purpose of this course is to introduce medical students to Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery, a subspecialty of Obstetrics and Gynecology that involves management of complex pelvic floor disorders. This course will introduce students to complex pelvic floor disorders like urinary incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, and pelvic pain. There will be exposure and hands on experience in medical and surgical management. Students will spend time in the office and operating room, participate in rounds, and work on a team with residents.

Course Description: The student will gain exposure and hands on experience in medical and surgical management of pelvic floor disorders. They will spend time in the clinic and OR with the faculty and participate in rounds with the team of residents. Common procedures in the office include speculum exams, cystoscopy, bladder instillations, urodynamics, pessary placement and care, botox injections. In the operating room, students may be exposed to hysterectomy (vaginal, laparoscopic, and robotic), sacrocolpopexy, colpocleisis, anterior repair, posterior repair, mid-urethral sling, and sacral neuromodulation. Students should be prepared to be hands-on, having practiced speculum exams, bimanual exams, uterine manipulation, skin suturing, and knot tying. They are expected to have read about each of the cases and prepare for clinic ahead of time.

Course Learning Objectives:

By the end of this course, the student should be able to:

1. Demonstrate the ability to obtain a complete history and perform physical examination of patients dealing with pelvic floor disorders.
2. Demonstrate knowledge of the evaluation and management of patients with pelvic floor disorders.
3. Discuss the indications and general principles guiding the use of pharmacologic treatment for pelvic floor disorders.
4. Interpret clinical findings and results to present on clinic and inpatient rounds. 

Students are expected to: 

• Attend gynecology resident rounds
• Round on patients who are admitted after surgery if they were a part of the case and sign-out updates
• Prepare for surgery (review the charts and procedure prior to the surgery, watch videos on Surgery U) 
• Prepare for clinic (review the charts prior to clinic)
  • Student is expected to see patients, come up with a differential diagnosis, A&P, and document the note 
• Attend all Error Reduction Conferences, grand rounds, and resident school with the OB/GYN Department
• Prepare a 20-minute presentation on a FPMRS topic of their choosing to be given the last week of the rotation