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!