Dr. Kelly's Research

Research Focus: Dr. Kelly is interested in research on medical trainee education, pediatric and adolescent gynecology and teen pregnancy.

Residency leadership transition: Spencer to step down, Kelly to become Residency Program Director

Later this summer, the UW Ob-Gyn Residency Program will undergo a leadership transition – current Residency Program Director Ryan Spencer, MD, MS, will step down from this role. Bridget Kelly, MD, current associate residency program director, will become Residency Program Director on September 1, 2023. Please help us thank Dr. Spencer for his many years of incredible leadership and welcome Dr. Kelly to this new position!

Spencer became the residency program director in 2019 after serving as associate program director since 2018. He spent a number of years cultivating the Resident Research Program in the department and has developed both the Quality Improvement and Patient Safety Programs for the Ob-Gyn residency and Gynecologic Oncology fellowship, as well as the Wellness Programs for both. He has been a regional and national leader in rural ob-gyn training: he has been the director of the UW Ob-Gyn Rural Residency Track since 2018 and became the Central Hub Lead for HRSA’s Rural Residency Program Technical Assistance Center, which guides new rural residency training programs through development and sustainability, since 2021.

Spencer has led the UW Ob-Gyn residency program through uniquely challenging times, including the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and the uncertainty of the Dobbs decision. We are very thankful for Dr. Spencer’s tremendous contributions to the residency program, and glad he will continue on in his current role as Gynecologic Oncology Fellowship Program Director.

Kelly has served as Associate Residency Program Director since July 2019. In that role, she has developed educational curriculum, goals and objectives; supervised and evaluated residents; helped guide resident recruitment and selection; and had a strong influence on resident wellbeing and work environment. Before joining our department, she was the Associate Residency Program Director for the ob-gyn residency at Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island/Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. She earned multiple Excellence in Teaching awards while at Brown.

She has also served on the UW SMPH Resident Education Committee since 2019 and co-chaired the UW Ob-Gyn Education Committee since 2020. Dr. Kelly’s background and experience make her an excellent choice for the next Residency Program Director, who will enhance the teaching and learning environment for UW Ob-Gyn residents and department faculty.

Please help us thank Dr. Spencer for his service in this role and congratulate Dr. Kelly on this exciting new opportunity!

UW Ob-Gyn brings presentations, posters, film to 2023 CREOG & APGO Annual Meeting

The Council on Resident Education in Obstetrics and Gynecology and the Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics hosted their 2023 Annual Meeting in National Harbor, MD February 27-March 1. Faculty, residents, fellows, students, and staff in the UW Department of Ob-Gyn brought a variety of presentations to this education-focused conference. Just some of their incredible offerings:

Discussion Den: “Recognizing Small Potholes Before You Lose a Hubcap” – Ryan Spencer, MD, MS; Bridget Kelly, MD; Jody Silva, M.Ed; Ariel Sorenson, MS

Discussion Den: “Implementing a Resident to Resident Near Peer Laparoscopic Fundamentals Skills Curriculum” – Matthew Wagar, MD; Rachel Mojdehbakhsh, MD; Maya Gross, MD, MPH; Sumer Wallace, MD, MS; Ashely Jennings, MD

Film Festival: “Zoom In on Abortion: Experience with a Virtual Values Clarification Workshop” – Jacquelyn Askins; Rob Garza; Elise Cowley; Alma Farooque; Zoey Shultz; Laura Jacques, MD

Oral Abstract: “Building in a Small Town: Maintaining Procedural Volume in a Rural Ob-Gyn Residency Program” – Charlotte Urban; Jody Silva, M.Ed; Ryan Spencer, MD, MS

Oral Abstract: “Practice Makes Proficient: Implementation of an Advanced Robotic Surgery Pathway for Obstetrics and Gynecology Residents” – Maya Gross, MD, MPH; Matthew Wagar, MD; Sumer Wallace, MD, MS; Jennifer Karnowski, MD

Oral Abstract: “Building Bridges, Not Walls: Experiences of Medical Trainees with Values Clarification Workshops on Abortion” – Elise Cowley; Taryn Valley, MA; Alma Farooque; Zooey Shultz; Margaret Williams, MD; Laura Jacques, MD

Elise earned second place Best Oral Abstract award for her presentation!

APGO Surgical Education Scholars Poster: “Utilization of a Structured Adverse Event Debrief Framework to Confront Second-Victim Syndrome in Ob-Gyn Residents” – Ryan Spencer, MD, MS; Laura Jacques, MD

Poster: “Bridging the Virtual Divide: Ob-Gyn Residency Applicant Experiences with Virtual Interviews” – Laura Jacques, MD; Elise Cowley; Ryan Spencer, MD, MS

Poster: “Medical Student Attitudes Around Abortion and Reproductive Justice at One Midwestern Institution” – Erin Nacev, MD, MPH; Taryn Valley, MA; Mireya Taboada, MD, MPH

Congratulations to all the presenters!

UW Ob-Gyn prepares posters, presentations for SASGOG Annual Meeting

The Society of Academic Specialists in General Obstetrics and Gynecology Annual Meeting, coming up in May 2022, will include exciting presentations and posters from faculty and residents in the UW Department of Ob-Gyn! Some of the great work that will be featured at the conference:

Presentation:

UW Ob-Gyn Division of Academic Specialists in Ob-Gyn Director Makeba Williams, MD, and Heidi Brown, MD, MAS, of the Division of Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery, collaborated on a project that earned the First Place Oral Presentation prize at the conference! The review committee told Williams and co-authors that they “highly regarded your work and encourage you to turn your abstract into a peer-reviewed paper.” Congratulations!

BP Connect: Referring Gynecology Patients with Elevated Blood Pressure to Primary Care Follow-up – Makeba Williams, MD; Heidi Brown, MD, MAS; Anisa Carlson; Christie Bartels, MD; Edmond Bromley; Monica Messina; Bret Hanlon

Posters:

Implementation of Resident Clinic Curriculum Using Podcasts and Case-Based Learning – Emily Buttigieg, MD; Bridget Kelly, MD

Incidence of Lymph Node Positivity in Endometrial Intraepithelial Neoplasia – Matt Wagar, MD; Katherine Sampene, MD; Makeba Williams, MD

Congratulations to all!