General Overview

A focal point of the fellowship is the excellent clinical training in medical and surgical abortion, contraception for medically complicated patients, management of complex IUD/implant placement/removal, tubal/non-tubal ectopic and early abnormal pregnancies, and permanent contraception. Fellows will graduate as family planning experts and consultants.

Abortion training

We expose our fellows to a variety of different practice settings, including free-standing abortion clinics, hospital based outpatient clinics and the hospital operating room. OHSU is a referral site for hospital-based abortion care for medically complex patients. Fellows are involved in administration of IV sedation in the outpatient clinics.

Contraceptive training

Contraceptive training comes from clinical experience at all of our training sites and didactic lectures as part of our weekly fellowship curriculum. Fellows become experts in contraception provision for medically complex patients. Fellows also gain experience in deep implant removal, difficult IUD insertion/removal (including hysteroscopic or laparoscopic removals for malpositioned IUDs) as well as procedural training on permanent contraception.

Research

Fellows are expected to design and complete a research project of their choice during fellowship. Fellows are closely mentored by the family planning faculty throughout the research process. Fellows have successfully completed both clinical research projects as well basic science projects. OHSU is home to the internationally renowned Oregon National Primate Research Center (ONPRC) that conducts basic science and translational research and houses the Oregon Permanent Contraception Research Center and NIH-funded U54 Contraceptive and Research Center. Fellows will also act as co-investigators for multiple industry and NIH-sponsored contraceptive studies. The well-established OHSU Women’s Health Research Unit assists fellows with the coordination of their projects. 

Read more about the Family Planning Program Research

Research and clinical interests of faculty

• Obesity and contraception
• Development of novel contraceptive methods
• Pharmacokinetics of contraceptive steroid hormones
• Emergency contraception
• Quality improvement in family planning
• Contraception for medically complex patients
• Development of nonsurgical permanent contraception
• Pregnancy of unknown location
• Informing state policy regarding reproductive healthcare through research
• Over the counter access to contraception
• Heme/Onc diseases and menstrual suppression
• Pain reduction in a variety of family planning procedures
• Telemedicine and reproductive healthcare
• Primate studies of novel contraceptives
• Testing of novel contraceptive methods
• Role of cervical mucous in contraception
• Cost-Effectiveness of Contraception

OHSU Human Investigations Program

Fellows have the opportunity to participate in a 2 year course in Human Investigations (NIH K-30 sponsored course) to aid in their understanding of research and literature review.

• Human Investigations Program (HIP): The primary objective of the HIP program is to increase the number and level of competency of patient-oriented clinical investigators and the course is directed toward young investigators and fellows. Prior fellows have all completed the HIP program successfully during their fellowship. There are two tracks within the HIP program, successful completion leads to either a graduate Certificate of Human Investigation or a Masters of Clinical Research awarded by OHSU.
• Certificate of Human Investigation: The university supports a free two-year course-work based program specifically directed toward creating clinician-researchers. It is an integrated clinical and translational research education curriculum.
• Master of Clinical Research (MCR): provides formal training for clinicians and scientists who desire to make clinical and translational research a prominent part of their long-term career goal.

Mentorship

Mentorship is provided by the family planning fellowship group that includes 10 faculty members. Fellows meet weekly with faculty members for teaching. Fellows meet on a regular basis with the fellowship directors for professional development. 

Although fellows achieve autonomy in the provision of clinical and surgical care, a member of the family planning group is always readily available for support, questions, and teaching. Additional mentoring is provided by the group to facilitate and support fellow research projects during development, recruitment, statistical analysis, and publication preparation. The family planning group also sponsors a well-attended journal club every other month.

Didactics

OHSU has a 2-year curriculum that all fellows complete. The curriculum is composed of weekly assignments of webinars, book chapters, guidelines and journal articles to ensure that all fellows complete the fellowship with the knowledge necessary to become an expert consultant in family planning. Fellows meet with faculty members on a weekly basis to review the curriculum. Fellows also have "chalk-talk" seminars with scientists at ONPRC on topics such as pharmacokinetics, ovulation and egg maturation, endometrium, and others related to advanced reproductive physiology.

Teaching opportunities

There are a variety of teaching opportunities for the fellows. Residency training in family planning occurs through the Kenneth J. Ryan Residency Training Program (Ryan Program). Fellows participate in the didactic and clinical training of students and Ob/Gyn residents. Teaching and presentation opportunities include:

• Ob/Gyn Clerkship team based learning (TBL) lecture on Contraception
• Invited lectures for physician assistant students, certified nurse midwife students and nursing students on topics of abortion and contraception
• Ob/Gyn residents didactic lectures on a family planning topics
• Weekly teaching of Ob/Gyn residents on family planning rotations (Ryan Program Curriculum for PGY1 and PGY2 training)
• Fellows are expected to give Grand Rounds on their research project at the end of fellowship
• Prior fellows have been invited to give local, regional and institutional presentations on a variety of family planning topics

Faculty and Fellows

Learn more about the OHSU CFP faculty and fellows

Additional Program Highlights

• Fellows teach residents and heath professional students and have the opportunity to develop and strengthen mentorship skills
• Fellows are expected to serve as attending physicians to maintain and enhance their generalist skills but not at the expense of their family planning training
• Fellows have the opportunity with the support of their mentors to serve as family planning consultants to OHSU and the greater medical community
• The OHSU family planning group is dedicated to providing strong mentorship for the Fellow
• Fellows are offered opportunities to further development as academic clinicians including interacting with the media, lecturing, participating in writing literature reviews, and acting as manuscript reviewers
• Fellows enjoy protected time to attend conferences and other opportunities for professional development in family planning (such as the Population Council elective rotation or ACOG elective rotation)
• OHSU is the Fertility Regulation Group for the Cochrane Library review
• Abortion training experience in several different settings
• Research mentorship from highly productive NIH-supported clinician-scientists
• Relationship with the Oregon Regional Primate Center for basic science research opportunities
• The Women’s Health Research Unit located within the Department of OB/GYN with resources to support and facilitate research protocol and budget development, IRB submission and maintenance, and research coordinator support
• Supportive department and support staff
• Working in a supportive state that values reproductive health and rights. Oregon received an A+ from the Population Institute State Report Card. Work alongside inspiring faculty who are putting reproductive rights advocacy into policy:
  • Oregon Reproductive Health Equity Act
  • HB2879 “Free the Pill” bill authorizing pharmacists to prescribe hormonal contraception

Application Information

All required residency education for entry into ACGME-accredited fellowship programs must be completed in an ACGME-accredited residency program, or in an RCPSC-accredited or CFPC-accredited program located in Canada.

Applicant must be legally able to work in the U.S., or eligible to obtain work authorization.

Application Requirements:

• ERAS application
• CV
• Photograph
• USMLE/COMLEX scores
• Personal Statement
• 3 Letters of recommendation (1 letter of recommendation must be from your OBGYN Residency Program Director)

Important Dates
OHSU Complex Family Planning Fellowship interview dates for the 2025 - 2026 interview season are:

Monday, August 12^th, 2024  and Tuesday, August 13^th, 2024.
* all interviews are virtual. 

Per the Society of Family Planning recommendations, we will be following the below timeline.

May 5th, 2025: The Society recommends all sites close their applications at 2:00 pm PT / 5:00 pm ET.

June 2nd, 2025: Interview invitation notifications begin.

June 30th, 2025: Interview invitation notifications end.

September 17th, 2025: Applicant rank lists will be submitted to the NRMP.

October 1st, 2025: Applicants are notified of their match via email. If an applicant does not match, they are eligible to participate in a scramble with unmatched sites.

August 1, 2026: Fellows begin their first year of Fellowship.

Learn more about the Fellowship in Family Planning and how to apply

Questions?

To contact the fellowship program, please email obgynfellowship@ohsu.edu with your subspecialty in the subject line.

Title IX Compliance

OHSU provides equal opportunities to all individuals without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, disability, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or any other status protected by law. It does not discriminate on any status protected by law. This policy applies to all employment, education, volunteer, and patient care related activities or in any other aspect of OHSU’s operation. Retaliation for reporting discrimination is prohibited. To make an inquiry or report an incident of discrimination, contact OHSU’s Office of Civil Rights Investigations and Compliance (OCIC) at 503-494-5148 or ocic@ohsu.edu.

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (“Title IX”) protects individuals from discrimination and harassment on the basis of sex or gender in any educational program or activity operated by recipients of federal aid. OHSU, as a recipient of federal funds, complies with Title IX and 34 CFR Part 106 by prohibiting sex and gender discrimination and harassment, which includes sexual misconduct and sexual violence, in education programs, activities, employment, and admissions.

Inquiries about Title IX compliance or sex/gender discrimination and harassment may be directed to the OHSU Title IX Coordinator: Angela Fleischer. Contact Angela Fleischer at 503-494-5148 or titleix@ohsu.edu.

Inquiries may also be directed to the U.S. Department of Education, Western Region Office for Civil Rights at 206-607-1600 or ocr.seattle@ed.gov.