Training opportunities in the Section of Women’s Health are designed to focus on the development of providers with special expertise and training at all levels of training. The Section offers training in women’s health at the medical student, resident, and fellowship levels, as well as serving as a resource for continuing medical education for physicians in the community and nationally. Training opportunities are focused on a number of different specialties.

Women’s Health Issues: Trainees at all levels receive additional training in diseases that are unique to women, more common in women, or that present differently in women. Examples include cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and autoimmune diseases.

Routine Gynecologic Care: Trainees develop expertise in breast and pelvic exams, contraceptive management, menstrual dysfunction, menopause management, and sexual trauma.

Medical Management of the Pregnant Patient: Emphasis is given to the management of common medical problems that coexist with pregnancy, such as thyroid disease, hypertension, diabetes, and disorders of hypercoagulability.

Mental Health: Trainees gain experience in diagnosing and managing mental health conditions common in women, including anxiety, eating disorders, substance abuse, domestic violence, and postpartum depression.

Graduates of all our training programs are providing health care to women in primary care practice, providing high-quality, gender-specific care to women; in subspecialty careers such as cardiology or oncology with an emphasis on the features of care unique to women; or in research or teaching careers focusing on women’s health.

Specific Training Programs

• Medical Student Training: Area of Concentration in Women’s Health
  An area of concentration is a voluntary, 4-year academic program that allows interested medical students to pursue special topics in addition to the standard curriculum. Within the Area of Concentration in Women’s Health, students receive specialized didactic and clinical experiences, are paired with mentors, and participate in a scholarly project.

• Residency Training: Women’s Health Track in the Internal Medicine Residency Program
  The goal of the Women’s Health Track in the Internal Medicine Residency Program is to integrate women’s health problems and issues into the mainstream of medical practice by helping physicians develop a comprehensive understanding of women’s health care issues, the clinical skills necessary to offer routine treatment, and the expertise to identify health problems that require referral to a specialist. The program is designed to provide high-quality training in gender-specific primary care and subspecialty care. It is based in the Section of Women’s Health within the Division of General Internal Medicine and is complemented by rotating experiences with core faculty members in other divisions and departments, such as endocrinology, cardiology, adolescent medicine, psychiatry, urogynecology, and reproductive endocrinology.

• Post Graduate Training: Fellowship Concentration in Women’s Health
  At the University of Pittsburgh’s Institute for Clinical Research Education, fellows may pursue a Master of Science in Clinical Research or a Master of Science in Medical Education. Clinical researchers may choose the Health Services Research Track, the Clinical Trials Research Track, the Health and Behavior Research Track, or the Translational Research Track. Clinical educators focus on curriculum development, medical student and resident teaching, and medical education research.
  Fellows in women’s health have completed diverse projects exploring disparities in health care for male and female veterans, issues of medical professionalism in residency, residents’ attitudes and knowledge about hormone therapy, use of emergency contraception in primary care practices, and the effect of mentorship on professional development. They have subsequently pursued academic research and education careers.
  All fellows are mentored in a diverse range of teaching skills, including inpatient, didactic, and small-group teaching by expert educators.

The Section of Women’s Health, along with the Center for Research on Health Care, encompasses the Center for Women’s Health Research and Innovation (CWHRI). The CWHRI consists of a core group of health services researchers under the direction of Sonya Borrero, MD, MS, who are dedicated to improving women’s health through innovative, high-quality, health services research. Their research includes all aspects of women’s health, with particular focus on vulnerable populations, women in the military, racial disparities, and sex- and gender-based differences in health and disease. Faculty members have methodological expertise in the use of patient-centered outcomes, community-based participatory research, clinical epidemiology, qualitative methods, and implementation science. The CWHRI provides strong mentorship and training opportunities to students, residents, fellows, and junior faculty. Current research focuses on contraception, preconception health, prenatal care, obesity, sexual health through the menopausal transition, and lifestyle interventions.