Dear future OB/GYN applicant,
Welcome Chief Class! Thank you for your interest in our program. We are excited to share with you why we are so proud to be part of OB/GYN department at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. As we begin our last year of residency, we are eager to share with you why we chose this program and the strengths of the program.
- Volume: The University of Utah is a regional medical center that services a five-state catchment area. This means we get referrals to all of our OB/GYN divisions for many of the highest-acuity cases from the more resource-poor settings in the Intermountain West. Our volume for both gynecology and obstetrics is high, so residents leave feeling competent and confident to handle complex clinical situations. We can honestly say that we are still exposed to some areas of the specialty that some consider a “dying art,” including: open abdominal hysterectomies, vaginal hysterectomies, and forceps-assisted vaginal deliveries. While we get exposed to difficult and unusual cases, we also see plenty of the basic bread-and butter OB/GYN cases.
- Faculty: One of the greatest strengths of our program is our faculty. Not only do we have a national reputation for excellence and leadership in Maternal Fetal Medicine, but we also have nationally recognized specialists in Urogynecology, MIGS, Family Planning, REI, and Gynecology-Oncology. These individuals create a safe learning environment, first guiding us as we build our foundations and then giving us the appropriate autonomy to make medical and surgical decisions in patient care. It truly is a community, which promotes our growth as people and as physicians. While we work hard with our faculty inside of the hospital, it is also not uncommon for us to interact outside the hospital hiking, skiing, engaging at a book club, and gobbling down Christmas cookies at Dr. Blue’s annual Christmas cookie party!
- Our fabulous co-residents: We really can’t highlight this enough! One of the palpable strengths of the program is the “family-feel” and the incredible friendships between our residents. When we started this program as interns, we were taken under the wing of our upper-levels, and we quickly joined the Utah family. We enjoy being together inside and outside of work. Although it looks a bit different now in the “COVID-era,” we frequently get together for dinners, hiking, skiing, trying new breweries, camping and traveling. Not only are the residents a close-knit group, but our partners, families and fur-babies are also often found together!
- Location: If you like to work hard and play hard, this is the right place for you! Salt Lake City has unparalleled access to the outdoors, with opportunities to hike, run, bike, rock climb, ski at world-class resorts, and enjoy Utah’s beauty just moments from the hospital parking lot. In addition, we are within arm’s reach of five national parks! But you don’t have to be an outdoor enthusiast to be a resident here. Salt Lake City is an exciting city with plenty of food and culture to explore from breweries, food trucks, and farmers markets to museums, indoor and outdoor concerts, professional and college sporting events, symphonies, ballets, and Broadway plays.
- Abortion training: Despite the reversal of Roe v. Wade, our program remains a Ryan Residency with opt-out abortion training. We are committed to ensuring that our residents graduate with skills in options counseling, complex D&Cs and D&Es, and complication management. While it may be easier to provide these skills in other states, we believe there is something to be said for learning them in an environment where they are truly needed and where opportunities for advocacy abound. Join us in fighting the good fight.
As the chief class, if you asked us if we would choose this program again, we would unequivocally say yes! We will leave here with confidence in our skills and lifelong connections and friendships. We love this place and the people!
We recognize that this is a stressful yet exciting time in your career, so please know that we are always available to answer any questions along the way. We invite you to follow our Instagram page (@uofuobgynres), to see for yourself a glimpse of the strengths of this program. We cannot wait to meet you at your virtual interview!
