NYMC > Departments > Academic Departments > School of Medicine > Obstetrics and Gynecology > Research

Research

The ACGME requires that all OB-GYN residents engage in “scholarly activity” throughout their residency. According to the ACGME, quality improvement and educational projects can fulfill the scholarship requirement in addition to traditional biomedical research. Residents at WMC are encouraged to pursue a research project but may choose to complete a quality improvement or educational project.

Residents are not expected to enter residency with significant prior research experience. They will receive didactic training and mentorship throughout the four years of residency which will allow them to successfully complete a scholarly product.

We aim for residents to discover the world of clinical or public health research and hope that this will be a positive aspect of their training. We encourage residents to come up with their own research ideas and to initiate their own projects with faculty mentorship. Residents may also participate in research projects that are designed by faculty members but must play an active role in the project to meet the residency scholarship requirement.

All residents will present their scholarly activity during Resident Research Day, an event which takes place every year in April. Residents will present their work in their Program Level 3 year.

Research Faculty & Coordinator  

Bianca Stifani, Director of Resident Research

Cara Grimes, Associate Chair for Research

Judy Moore, Research Coordinator

Research Curriculum Goals & Objectives

By the end of their residency, residents will learn:

  1. How to ask research questions that are relevant to their practice
  2. How to critically appraise the scientific literature
  3. How to design rigorous and ethical research projects and obtain necessary ethical and regulatory approvals to conduct their projects
  4. How to collect and analyze data with the assistance of experts
  5. How to collaborate with others including across disciplines – eg. faculty mentors, medical students, and biostatisticians
  6. How to disseminate their findings in both oral and written format

Didactic Sessions

The research didactic curriculum consists of a rotating two-year curriculum. Some lectures will be given yearly. The following are the covered lecture topics:

  • Introduction to research & developing research ideas (given yearly)
  • Presenting your work: abstract and PowerPoint how to (given yearly)
  • Important concepts in biostatistics: hypotheses, sample size calculations, statistical tests
  • Planning your resident research project: from concept note to IRB approval
  • Designing and conducting a qualitative research study
  • Survey design

In addition to the lectures described above, residents will participate in quarterly Journal Clubs and Works-in-Progress sessions led by faculty.

Mentorship and Resources

Residents will receive mentorship from Dr. Stifani and Dr. Grimes. They will also be paired with faculty mentors who are subject-matter experts in the resident’s area of interest. Faculty members are available to mentor residents in the areas of:

  • Maternal-Fetal-Medicine
  • Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility
  • Gynecologic Oncology
  • Urogynecology
  • Family Planning
  • Minimally Invasive Gynecology
  • Reproductive Genetics
  • LGBTQI Health
  • Global Health
  • Healthcare Disparities
  • Obstetric Anesthesia

Statistical support is available within the Department and New York Medical College.

Small grants are also available through the Department for residents to complete research projects – for example, to purchase gift card to be used as research participation time reimbursement. 

Funding is available to present scholarly work at national conferences.

Examples of Recent Resident Research Publications & Presentations (resident name bolded)

  • Soltani A, Baban S, French K, Annand K, Pelle A, Stifani B. A review of LGBTQI content on US OB-GYN Residency Websites. Poster accepted at National LGBTQ Health Conference - July 2022 (Chicago)
  • Futterman I, Rosenfeld E, Toaff M, Boucher T, Golden-Espinal S, Evans K, Clare CA. Addressing Disparities in Prenatal Care via Telehealth During COVID-19: Prenatal Satisfaction Survey in East Harlem. Am J Perinatol. 2021 Jan;38(1):88-92. doi: 10.1055/s-0040-1718695
  • Futterman ID, Snyder A, O'Hagan K, Siegel MR, Grimes CL. Mode of delivery and neonatal outcomes in pregnancies with fetal growth restriction and abnormal umbilical artery Dopplers. Am J Obstet Gynecol MFM. 2022 Jan;4(1):100497. doi: 10.1016/j.ajogmf.2021.100497
  • Li, BS; Grimes, CL; Vicens-Villafana, J; Kadesh,A; Kasoff,M. Universal Rapid Testing for SARS-CoV-2 in Obstetrical Patients at a Suburban New York Tertiary Medical Center: Prevalence and Patient Characteristics. Austin J Obstet Gynecol. 2021; 8(3):1172
  • Navi L, Futterman I, Shilkrut A. Obesity’s impact on incision to delivery interval and neonatal outcomes at time of urgent cesarean. Poster presented at SMFM – January 2021