Residency
Rural residency (and first graduate) featured on Minneapolis news
In June 2021, Laura McDowell, MD became the first graduate of the first rural ob-gyn residency program in the country when she finished her residency training in the UW Department of Ob-Gyn. Following graduation, McDowell moved to Willmar, Minnesota to join a general ob-gyn practice.Her experience as a rural ob-gyn physician is highlighted in this story from KSTP in Minneapo...
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Spencer appointed as hub lead for HRSA Rural Residency Program Development Center
UW Ob-Gyn Residency Program Director Ryan Spencer, MD, has been appointed to be the Central Hub Lead for the Rural Residency Program Development Technical Assistance Center (RRPD-TAC). The RRPD-TAC is funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).The grant provides $4.6 million of total funding over four years....
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UW-Madison Department of Ob-Gyn thanks rural training partners on National Rural Health Day
As the state of Wisconsin celebrates National Rural Health Day on November 18, 2021, the University of Wisconsin–Madison Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology would like to thank the physicians and partners across Wisconsin who are training future ob-gyn physicians in rural practice.The UW–Madison Department of Ob-Gyn created the first rural ob-gyn residency training track...
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Rural ob-gyn disparities and UW Ob-Gyn Rural Residency featured in Appleton Post Crescent
An in-depth article in the Appleton Post Crescent examines the gaps in rural ob-gyn care in Wisconsin, outlines why the UW Department of Ob-Gyn created the first rural residency training track in the country, and demonstrates how innovations in Wisconsin are rippling out throughout the Midwest - in the form of a rural ob-gyn residency at the University of Iowa.
The article ...
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Antony and residency grad Meyer published in Journal of Maternal-Fetal & Neonatal Medicine
Katie Antony, MD, of the UW Ob-Gyn Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, and Melissa Meyer, MD, 2021 UW Ob-Gyn residency graduate, co-authored a new article in the Journal of Maternal-Fetal & Neonatal Medicine.
In “A standardized post-cesarean analgesia regimen reduces postpartum opioid use”, Antony and Meyer evaluated a standardized protocol of pain medications after C-sect...
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Wagar published in Gynecologic Oncology
UW Ob-Gyn resident Matt Wagar, MD, PGY-4 published an article in a recent edition of Gynecologic Oncology!
In “Postoperative venous thromboembolism in gynecologic oncology patients undergoing minimally invasive surgery: Does modality matter?”, Wagar and co-authors conducted a retrospective cohort study of all patients who underwent gynecologic cancer surgery at UW between 2...
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Brown, Williams edit book on older women’s health
What happens when two world-class experts on menopause and pelvic floor disorders work together? They literally write the book on older women’s health concerns.
Heidi Brown, MD, MAS, of our Division of Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery, and Makeba Williams, MD, Director of our Division of Academic Specialists in Ob-Gyn, edited the book “Challenges in Older W...
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What’s next for the UW Ob-Gyn Resident Class of 2021
The UW Ob-Gyn resident class of 2021 will graduate on June 24, 2021. Please join us in congratulating them on four exceptional years of training, and wishing them all the best as they depart for the next stages of their careers!
EMILY BUTTIGIEG, MD
Where will you be going and what will you be doing after UW Ob-Gyn?
I am staying on as faculty with UW for a year while my fian...
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Rivas’ resident research published in Contraception
Before graduating from the UW Ob-Gyn residency in 2020, Kali Rivas, MD focused her resident research project on whether resident physicians in Wisconsin are trained in immediate postpartum long-acting reversible contraception (LARC). Her study is now published in Contraception! Amy Godecker, PhD, Heidi Brown, MD, MAS, and Nicholas Schmuhl, PhD, co-authored the article.
In t...
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McDowell makes history as first rural ob-gyn residency grad in country
Later this month, UW Ob-Gyn resident Laura McDowell, MD, PGY-4 will make medical history when she becomes the first graduate from the first rural ob-gyn residency training program in the country.
Numerous news outlets in the area have covered McDowell’s accomplishment. Watch or read about this momentous UW Ob-Gyn residency occasion:
Caring for Rural Women: UW doctor comple...
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McDowell to present on rural health at UW Wednesday Nite @ the Lab
UW Ob-Gyn resident Laura McDowell, MD, PGY-4 will present the lecture “Rural Medical Training: The Stats, The Need, The Future” for UW–Madison Science Outreach’s Wednesday Nite @ the Lab series on Wednesday, June 9 at 7:00pm.
Wednesday Nite @ the Lab is a free outreach event designed to share university research and developments with the public. This Wisconsin Idea project ...
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Spencer presents on rural health at ACOG annual meeting
At the virtual 2021 ACOG Annual Clinical and Scientific Meeting, UW Ob-Gyn Residency Program Director Ryan Spencer, MD joined a panel of experts to discuss rural health.
During the clinical seminar, Spencer discussed the importance of supporting pipelines to bring ob-gyns to rural areas, and of building clinical partnerships between rural and urban practices to facilitate l...
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Grand Rounds: Laura McDowell presents “Rural Medical Training: The Stats, The Need, The Future”
UW Ob-Gyn resident Laura McDowell, MD, PGY-4 will be the first person to graduate from the UW Ob-Gyn Rural Residency Training Program, the first program in the nation to offer specific training for rural women's health. On April 29, 2021, McDowell presented the Grand Rounds lecture “Rural Medical Training: The Stats, The Need, The Future”.
In the lecture, McDowell outlined ...
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Grand Rounds: Huang presents “Caring for our Hmong Patients: Intersection of Culture and Western Medicine”
Wisconsin has the third-largest Hmong population in the United States. For her Grand Rounds lecture, UW Ob-Gyn resident Dandi Huang, MD, PGY-4 presented “Caring for our Hmong Patients: Intersection of Culture and Western Medicine”.
In her presentation, Huang shared some history of Hmong migration to the U.S., discussed unique aspects of Hmong culture in relation to health, ...
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Wang presents oral abstract at SGO 2021 virtual conference
During the 2021 Society of Gynecologic Oncology Annual Meeting on Women’s Cancer, UW Ob-Gyn resident Connor Wang, MD, PGY-2 presented an oral abstract!
Wang presented the abstract “Cancer lethality: An important burden metric to consider for the allocation of clinical trial research funding from all sources” during a session on Sunday, March 21:
“GYN cancers have significa...
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Match Day 2021: Welcome the UW Ob-Gyn resident class of 2025
Another successful Match Day is in the books! It is our great pleasure to introduce the UW Ob-Gyn resident class of 2025. These amazing future ob-gyns will join us in Wisconsin this summer – please help us welcome them to our department!
John Gravelle
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine
Jackie Luthardt
Rural Track
Michigan State University Coll...
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Patel published in International Journal of Surgery Case Reports
A case study by UW Ob-Gyn resident (and future UW Ob-Gyn Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery fellow) Ushma Patel, MD, PGY-3 was published in the International Journal of Surgery Case Reports. Christine Heisler, MD, of the UW Ob-Gyn Division of FPMRS co-authored the case study.
“Enterocele manifesting as recurrent anterior rectal prolapse: A case report” outlin...
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Wagar published in Green Journal
In a new publication in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology, UW Ob-Gyn resident Matt Wagar, MD, PGY-3 compared operative outcomes of postpartum tubal ligation and bilateral salpingectomy. Co-authors on the article include UW Ob-Gyn Division of Academic Specialists Director Makeba Williams, MD, and Amy Godecker, PhD.
The retrospective study “Postpartum Salpingectomy Compar...
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Poehlmann and Tran selected as 2021-22 chief residents
Our congratulations to UW Ob-Gyn residents John Poehlmann, MD and Vienna Tran, MD! Currently in their third year of residency, Poehlmann and Tran have been selected to serve as Administrative Chief Residents in the coming year.
Poehlmann and Tran will take the reins from PGY-4 residents Ramsey Larson, MD and Stephanie Peace, MD. After a transition period starting March 1, t...
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UW Ob-Gyn brings research, developments to 2021 SMFM Conference
Faculty, residents, fellows, researchers and more brought numerous posters and presentations to the virtual 2021 Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine Annual Meeting at the end of January! Learn more about the wealth of research shared by our colleagues at the conference:
PRESENTATION:
Racial disparities in post-operative pain experience and treatment following cesarean birt...
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Academic Specialists In Obstetrics and Gynecology
Maternal-Fetal Medicine
Research
Residency
Fellowship
Diversity Equity Inclusion
Jacquelyn Adams
Kathleen Antony
Bradley Bosse
Luther Gaston
Amy Godecker
Tiffany Green
Kara Hoppe
J. Igor Iruretagoyena
Alexa Lowry
John Poehlmann
Jenna Racine
Janine Rhoades
Matthew Wagar

Mojdehbakhsh published in Gynecologic Oncology Reports
A quality improvement study by lead author Rachel Mojdehbakhsh, MD, PGY-2, was published in Gynecologic Oncology Reports. Co-authors include Stephen Rose, MD, Megan Peterson, DNP, Laurel Rice, MD, and Ryan Spencer, MD, all of the UW Ob-Gyn Division of Gynecologic Oncology.
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic that began in early 2020, industry organizations like the National C...
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UW Ob-Gyn posters and presentations coming up at SGO Annual Meeting on Women’s Cancer
The agenda for the virtual Society of Gynecologic Oncology’s 2021 Annual Meeting on Women’s Cancer, coming up in March, is available, and UW Ob-Gyn faculty and trainees will have an extensive presence at the conference. We're proud of the broad variety of research our team will bring to the event!
“Cannabidiol: Assessing Activity in Ovarian and Endometrial Carcinoma Cell Li...
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Grand Rounds: Badger Bytes on opioids and women’s health
On Thursday, January 7, a multidisciplinary group presented Badger Bytes Grand Rounds lectures as part of the presentation “The Multiple Dimensions of Opioid Use for Women’s Health.” The session was moderated by UW Ob-Gyn Division of Reproductive and Population Health Director Deborah Ehrenthal, MD, MPH.
Erin Nacev, MD/MPH student in the UW SMPH started off with “Prenatal O...
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Grand Rounds: Meyer presents “Navigating the Pandemic: COVID-19 on Labor and Delivery”
The COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 drastically affected health care provision this year. At UW Ob-Gyn Grand Rounds on December 17, 2020, UW Ob-Gyn resident Melissa Meyer, MD, PGY-4 discussed some of the ways care changed in the lecture “Navigating the Pandemic: COVID-19 on Labor and Delivery”.
In her lecture, Meyer provided an overview of COVID and pregnancy, discussed changes ...
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Grand Rounds: Larson presents “Waste within the Healthcare System: How Your Actions Impact Patients, Providers, and the Planet”
On December 3, 2020, UW Ob-Gyn resident Ramsey Larson, MD, PGY-4 presented the Grand Rounds lecture “Waste within the Healthcare System: How Your Actions Impact Patients, Providers, and the Planet”.
In her presentation, Larson shared trends in health care spending and utilization in the U.S. and throughout the world; identified areas of waste in the U.S. health care system;...
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Grand Rounds: Buttigieg presents “From Schoolhouse Rock to Modern Day Politics: Applying Childhood Lessons to Practical Advocacy Strategies in Women’s Health”
On November 12, 2020, UW Ob-Gyn resident Emily Buttigieg, MD, PGY-4 presented the Grand Rounds lecture “From Schoolhouse Rock to Modern Day Politics: Applying Childhood Lessons to Practical Advocacy Strategies in Women’s Health.”
In the presentation, Buttigieg provided essential background for anyone interested in incorporating advocacy into their work. She outlined the pr...
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Patel selected as 2022 FPMRS fellow!
The UW Ob-Gyn Division of Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery, and FPMRS Fellowship Director Christine Heisler, MD, are thrilled to announce that Ushma Patel, MD will join us as our second FPMRS fellow in July 2022! Patel is currently a PGY-3 resident in our department.
Patel attended Marquette University for her undergraduate degree, and earned her MS from th...
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Wagar to bring poster to 2021 virtual APGO/CREOG meeting
UW Ob-Gyn resident Matt Wagar, MD, PGY-3 will bring the poster “Degree of Agreement Between Resident and Faculty Procedural Assessments Using MyTIPreport” to the 2021 APGO/CREOG virtual meeting in March.
Wagar's poster is just one of many reasons to consider registering for the conference. Congratulations, Dr. Wagar!
Department gearing up for exciting SMFM conference
The Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine’s Annual Pregnancy Meeting is coming up in January 2021, and the UW Department of Ob-Gyn is ready to impress!
Residents Melissa Meyer, MD, PGY-4, Matt Wagar, MD, PGY-3, and Stephanie Peace, MD, PGY-4 all have accepted posters at the conference. John Poehlmann, MD, PGY-3 will present an oral abstract. Maternal-Fetal Medicine fellows Br...
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Grand Rounds: Peace presents “From Ebola to Covid-19: Lessons on Obstetric Care During a Global Pandemic”
Can lessons from the 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak be applied to maternal health care in COVID-19? UW Ob-Gyn resident Stephanie Peace, MD, PGY-4 discussed in a recent UW Ob-Gyn Grand Rounds lecture.
In the presentation “From Ebola to COVID-19: Lessons on Obstetric Care During a Global Pandemic”, Peace used the two case studies to examine obstetric care and maternal health in a g...
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Rural Residency earns DHS rural health care grant
Incredible news out of the UW Ob-Gyn Rural Residency track! The program was awarded a Wisconsin Department of Health Services Grant for Rural GME Training. Residency Program Director Ryan Spencer, MD, will serve as PI on the grant.
The DHS grants are intended to “increase
access and enhance quality care in rural Wisconsin” by supporting
education and training to help ru...
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Huang matches to Cedars-Sinai Gyn Onc fellowship!
Fellowship Match Day brought some very exciting news – UW Ob-Gyn resident Dandi Huang, MD, PGY-4, matched into the gynecologic oncology fellowship at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles!
Huang was a highly sought-after
candidate on the fellowship trail, and Cedars-Sinai is lucky to have
her. Congratulations, Dr. Huang, we’re so excited and proud!
...
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Spencer, Silva, McDowell serve on CREOG rural training panel
On September 23, 2020, members of the UW Ob-Gyn residency team led the panel discussion “Increasing the Rural OB/GYN Pipeline: a Pathway for Rural Track Training”, presented by the Council on Resident Education in Obstetrics and Gynecology!Residency program director Ryan Spencer, MD, program manager Jody Silva, M.Ed, and resident Laura McDowell, MD, PGY-4 presented to over 4...
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Residency alum Harrison publishes on occupational HPV exposure in Green Journal
UW Ob-Gyn residency grad (class of 2018) and current MD Anderson fellow in gynecologic oncology Ross Harrison, MD, authored an article in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology!In “Occupational Exposure to Human Papillomavirus and Vaccination for Health Care Workers,” Harrison offers commentary on the risks associated with workplace exposure to HPV, especially in surgical smo...
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Rural residency highlighted in CMS report
Congratulations to the UW Ob-Gyn Rural Residency team! Our first-in-the-nation rural ob-gyn training program was prominently featured in a recent “Improving Access to Maternal Health Care in Rural Communities” issue brief from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service.In addition to being included in a section on programs expanding training of maternal health providers i...
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