Infectious Disease in Ob / Gyn & Reproductive Medicine (OBGYN 5725)
MS-4

4 weeks

Course Director
Harold Wiesenfeld, MD, CM
Associate Professor
Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, & Reproductive Sciences
hwiesenfeld@upmc.edu

Course Director
Sharon Hillier, PhD
Professor
Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, & Reproductive Sciences
shillier@mail.upmc.edu

Course Description

This is a four week selective that emphasizes the many unique features of infections in obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive medicine. Students will learn the pathogenesis of organisms relevant to the female reproductive tract, and about transmission of organisms to the fetus. Students will evaluate pregnant and non-pregnant patients with reproductive tract infections and discuss clinical and management issues daily with faculty. Students will also be exposed to contemporary laboratory techniques of identifying pathogenetic organisms.

The format will consist of a series of lectures, self-directed and problem-based learning sessions, inpatient and outpatient clinical settings, research and clinical laboratory settings, and a student-directed debate on controversial topics in reproductive and infectious diseases.

This course satisfies the Integrated Life Science requirement.

The goals of the course are:

1. to expose students to clinical and basic science aspects of infectious disease as they pertain to the specialty of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive medicine;
2. to allow students to appreciate the basic science foundation for the clinical practice of infectious diseases in obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive medicine.

Additional goals are that at the conclusion of this selective, the student will have learned about:

1. the unique organisms responsible for infections in obstetrics and gynecology patients.
2. the clinical manifestations and sequelae of obstetrics and gynecologic infections including sexually transmitted diseases.
3. the potentially serious long-term consequences of sexually transmitted diseases.
4. clinical manifestations and sequelae of fetal / perinatal infections.
5. the contemporary laboratory techniques that are used for diagnosis of infectious diseases
6. basic epidemiologic methods used for research studies in infectious diseases, as they pertain to the specialty of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive medicine.

Educational Methods

	Lectures		Self-directed learning		Clinical case presentations and discussions in problem-based learning format
	Journal clubs		Inpatient & outpatient clinical settings		Research and clinical laboratory settings

Students attend approximately 5-6 half days of patient care activities throughout the rotation. There are no on-call or weekend responsibilities. The course spans five days each week.

Evaluation

Grading for this course is based on small group participation and a final written examination.
Grading is satisfactory / unsatisfactory.