Overview and History of the Program
Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) has a long-standing commitment to family planning. Dr Kenneth J. Ryan, for whom the national 'Ryan Program' is named, was the Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology from 1973 to 1993. Under his leadership the hospital began offering abortion services and OBGYN resident training in abortion in 1973 with the legalization of abortion with the Roe v. Wade decision. Abortion services and training for residents has been ongoing ever since.
The Brigham and Women's Hospital-Harvard Medical School Complex Family Planning (BWH-HMS CFP) Fellowship program began in July of 2005. The BWH-HMS CFP fellowship is accredited with The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). Our fellows gain a wide range of clinical experience at three academic hospitals, and a large Planned Parenthood affiliate.
Trainees per year: one
Fellowship length: two years
Salary: Mass General Brigham (MGB) GME PGY5 level salary first year, MGB GME PGY6 level salary second year
Benefits: 4 weeks of vacation per year. MGB benefits package including medical and dental insurance along with retirement funding and malpractice coverage. Learn more about MGB GME salary and benefits.
Year program began: 2005
Program Director: Alisa B. Goldberg, MD, MPH
Associate Program Director: Kari P. Braaten, MD, MPH
Fellowship Mission and Vision
Our mission is to develop obstetrician-gynecologist leaders in abortion and contraception through training in clinical care, research, and education.
We envision a world in which clinical care, health systems and public policy promote reproductive autonomy and justice for all people, and particularly for individuals whose reproductive capacity and freedoms are currently devalued.
Fellowship Aims
- Clinical - To train physicians to be experts in the clinical care of patients requiring abortion and contraceptive services and specifically to provide expert consultation and/or comprehensive care for patients with complex problems related to Family Planning.
- Research - To train physicians that can function effectively in the arena of clinical, translational or health service investigation in Family Planning, to advance the discipline, remain current and generate and utilize scientific evidence to inform clinical and health system policies in this rapidly changing field.
- Academic Development – To develop communication skills in our fellows that enable them to speak and write effectively to varied audiences about topics related to contraception and abortion
- Education and Leadership - To develop skills in our fellows as educators, mentors and eventual leaders in the field of Family Planning.
Complex Family Planning Faculty
- Alisa B. Goldberg, MD, MPH (Program Director)
Associate Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Harvard Medical School
Director, Division of Family Planning, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Director, Family Planning Clinic, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Vice President of Research and Training, ASPIRE Center, Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts
- Kari P. Braaten MD, MPH (Associate Program Director)
Assistant Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Harvard Medical School
Medical Director, Fish Center for Women’s Health, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
- Deborah Bartz, MD, MPH
Associate Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Harvard Medical School
Director, Ryan Residency Training Program, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Associate Director, Ob/Gyn Clerkship, Harvard Medical School
Associate Director, Family Planning Clinic, Brigham and Women's Hospital
- Elizabeth Janiak, ScD
Assistant Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Harvard Medical School
Assistant Professor, Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Director of Social Science Research, ASPIRE Center, Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts
- Kathryn Fay, MD, MSc
Assistant Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Harvard Medical School
Women’s Reproductive Health Research Scholar
- Robert Barbieri, MD
Kate Macy Ladd Distinguished Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology
Interim Director of Obstetrics, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Past Chair (1993-2020), Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
- Katherine Pocius, MD, MPH (Site Director, Massachusetts General Hospital)
Instructor in Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine, Harvard Medical School
Medical Director of Family Planning, Vincent Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital
Associate Director, BWH/MGH Integrated Residency Program in Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Danielle Roncari, MD, MPH (Site Director, Tufts Medical Center)
Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tufts School of Medicine
Director, Division of Family Planning, Tufts Medical Center
Medical Director, Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts
Clinical Training
Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH)
- Family Planning Center (FPC): hospital-based procedural unit dedicated to abortion care, management of pregnancy loss, and complex contraceptive procedures.
- Complex Contraception Clinic (HRCC): Ambulatory clinic, dedicated to serving patients the contraceptive needs of patients with complex medical conditions.
Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts (PPLM)
- 1st and 2nd trimester procedural abortion and medication abortion
- Triage of patients to appropriate clinical setting (community versus hospital)
- Consultant to Advanced Practice Clinicians
Tufts Medical Center
- Clinical abortion training (2nd trimester)
Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH)
- Clinical abortion training (2nd trimester)
Newton-Wellesley Hospital
- Independent obstetric practice (L&D coverage) is available to fellows as an optional moonlighting activity, at this MGB-affiliated community hospital.
Research Training
Fellows complete courses in research methodology through the Harvard Catalyst program. Fellows who don't already have an MPH complete the NIH IPPCR clinical research certificate program in their first year. Fellows learn hands-on research implementation by designing and completing an independent research project, mentored by our experienced faculty, and learning from the expert research staff at PPLM. Fellows have completed a wide variety of types of research including prospective and retrospective clinical studies, qualitative and mixed-method studies.
Mentorship and Education
Mentorship
Mentorship is provided by the Complex Family Planning faculty. At BWH this includes four ABOG board certified CFP physicians and a PhD social scientist. Additional mentors include CFP faculty at our other clinical sites, as well as several other OB/GYN physicians with extensive family planning experience. Fellows meet with the fellowship directors regularly, as well as with their research mentors, which may also include faculty outside of the division.
Didactics
The Division of Family Planning has a weekly lecture series with lectures given by our faculty, fellows, residents, sub-interns, and outside invited speakers. Additionally, the fellows have a monthly teaching session with the associate program director, covering core topics from the CFP fellowship curriculum. Weekly BWH OB/GYN department grand rounds as well as other division and department-wide didactics are also available to the fellows. Annual special lectures and events focusing on Reproductive Health and Women’s health are sponsored by Harvard Medical School, the Connor’s Center for Women’s Health and Gender Biology, and the Division of Women’s Health, all of which are available to the fellows.
Application Information
For entry into ACGME-accredited fellowship programs, individuals must have completed in an ACGME-accredited residency program, or in an RCPSC-accredited or CFPC-accredited program located in Canada. Applicants must be legally able to work in the U.S., or eligible to obtain work authorization. If you have questions, please contact bwhcomplexfp@mgb.org.
Application Requirements:
- ERAS application
- CV
- USMLE/COMLEX scores
- Personal Statement
- 3 Letters of recommendation (1 letter of recommendation must be from your OBGYN Residency Program Director)
Learn more about the Fellowship in Family Planning and how to apply
