Maternal-Fetal Medicine Fellowship

Maternal-Fetal Medicine Fellowship Overview

The fellowship in Maternal-Fetal Medicine at the University of Hawaiʻi combines exceptional training for future maternal-fetal medicine specialists in clinical practice and academic medicine. The fellows will acquire knowledge of the basic and clinical facets of perinatal medicine and develop skills for the conduct of clinical and/or basic research related to our sub-specialty. Fellows will gain an extensive knowledge base and develop wide experiences in the management of common and unusual obstetrical and medical complications, including those conditions unique to Hawaiʻi and the Pacific Rim. This will enable them to both manage such patients and function as a consultant for obstetricians requesting input.

Graduated fellows will be able to serve as an expert in his/her community, advising others in the application of new knowledge. We anticipate they will become clinician-researchers and advance medical knowledge in the MFM discipline.

Maternal-Fetal Medicine Fellowship

MFM Fellowship educational activities takes place on Wednesday and Friday afternoons. In addition to the formal lectures, fellows also participate in the following weekly conferences:

Weekly: MFM-NICU Conference
Weekly: Research Lab Meeting
Monthly: Genetics Education

Other Conferences: Prenatal Pediatric Conference (Fetal Boards), Evidence Based Medicine

Year 1:
  • 6 Months Clinical MFM – L&D
  • 3 Months MFM Imaging
  • 1 Month Critical Care
  • 2 Months Research
  • Weekly MFM Office session
Year 2:
  • 10 Months Research
  • 2 Months Electives
  • Weekly Ultrasound Fetal Assessment Clinic
Year 3:
  • 2 Months L&D Supervision
  • 7 Months Electives and/or Research
  • 1 Month Pediatrics Genetics (Mandatory Elective)
  • Weekly MFM Genetics Clinic

The Fellow will also have the option to complete a MS in Clinical Research during the second and third years of the fellowship. Courses are held at the JABSOM Kaka’ako Campus. The MSCR program is administered by the University of Hawaii at Manoa. More information can be found here: docs/QHCR_CR_Flyer.pdf

Website: https://qhs.jabsom.hawaii.edu/education/qhcr/

All Fellows Will Adhere to the 80-Hour Workweek

Applications are accepted via ERAS only.
 
We Require the Following:
  • ERAS Common Application Form
  • CV
  • Personal Statement
  • Letters of Recommendation (3)
  • MSPE
  • USMLE Transcript
  • ECFMG Status Report (If Applicable)

Compensation:

Revised 06/17/2021

MFM Fellows are paid via the Hawaii Pacific Health Medical Group (HPHMG).
1st year: 72,600.00
2nd year: 75,200.00
3rd year: 77,800.00

 

During their time in Fellowship, fellows also carry the title of Clinical Instructor with the University of Hawaii.

 

Fringe Benefits:
  • Medical and Dental Plan (Following 1 month of employment)
  • Free Self Medical Coverage
  • Medical Waiver Benefit
  • Pre-Tax Medical Expense and Dependent Care Spending Accounts
  • 403b Tax Deferred Annuity Plan
  • 4 Weeks of Vacation per Academic Year
  • 10 Days Sick Leave per Academic Year

 

Sample: Fellowship Training Contract

Sample: Fellowship Clinical Coverage Agreement

 

We comply with the ABOG Leave rules.

Current MFM Fellows

LEVEL 1 MFM FELLOW
La-Tisha Frazier, MD
1st Year Fellow
LEVEL 2 MFM FELLOW

Elizabeth Mercer, MD
2nd Year Fellow

LEVEL 3 MFM FELLOW
Jacob Garcia, MD
3rd Year Fellow

Facilities

Kapiʻolani Medical Center for Women and Children

Kapiʻolani Medical Center for Women and Children (KMCWC) is the primary clinical learning environment for the MFM fellowship and is the tertiary care referral center for the State of Hawaiʻi, US Pacific Territories and Associated Nations with over 6,200 deliveries performed annually. The MFM Labor & Delivery rotations are at KMCWC as are the Ultrasound rotations and MFM electives. All MFM office based clinics are at this site. The Maternal-Fetal Medicine core faculty are the only faculty providing supervision for the inpatient MFM L&D service with weekly rotation of the responsibility. As the MFM L&D service is separate from the general OB/GYN L&D service, the patient care based learning experience is enriched for all the medical and obstetrical complications of pregnancy. The patients are admitted to the MFM L&D service either as a maternal transport from another island or hospital on Oʻahu, transfer of care from one of the general OB/GYNs, or from the MFM office. The average daily census is 6-7 patients with over 300 MFM admission and 150 consults/comanage per year. On this service the MFM fellow is given the responsibility of acting as the junior attending managing the admission, daily management, delivery, and postpartum care of the patients.

Specifics of the hospital include

  • 25 LDR Rooms and 7 L&D triage beds
  • 51 Postpartum beds with over 90% single occupancy
  • 3 Operating rooms on L&D
  • 4 bed MICU
  • 12 bed Medical-Surgical unit
  • 24 hours availability of internal medicine hospitalists
  • Level III NICU licensed for 74 beds
  • Home to the University of Hawaiʻi Departments of OB/GYN and Women’s Health and Pediatrics

 

 

Fetal Diagnostic Center

The main location for MFM outpatient clinical work is the Kapi’olani Medical Center for Women and Children Fetal Diagnostic Center. In this unit, MFM office visits are conducted as well as fetal ultrasounds, GYN ultrasounds and antepartum testing. The unit is AIUM accredited for OB, GYN, and Fetal ECHO ultrasounds with over 17,000 ultrasound procedures and over 6500 antepartum testing evaluations annually.

  • 7 Ultrasound exam Rooms (GE Voluson E8 and E10)
  • 7 ARDMS certified Sonographers
  • 4 NST Beds
  • 6700 Antepartum evaluations per year
  • 2 Exam rooms for MFM office visits
  • 7 RN’s
  • 2 Genetic Counselors
  • Sweeter Choice Diabetes in Pregnancy Monitoring Program
    • 10 patients enrolled per week for over 500 patients monitored per year
  • Sampling of ultrasound volume per year
    • 80-100 diagnostic procedures (CVS, Amniocentesis, PUBS)
    • >350 Fetal ECHOs
    • >2500 Nuchal Translucency ultrasounds
    • 3000 Level II Ultrasounds

Queen's Medical Center

Queen's is the largest full service medical center on Oʻahu and the only Level I trauma center in the state of Hawaiʻi. There are approximately 1,000 deliveries performed at Queen's annually as a low risk L&D with a Level I nursery. Queens' is the clinical learning environment for the MFM Fellows if they choose to have a Surgical IUC rotation here and for obstetrical cases requiring delivery at Queen's for maternal medical needs such as cardiac care or neurosurgical care which usually is between 5-10 cases per year.

  • 505 Acute Care Beds
  • 28 Sub-Acute Beds
  • Cardiac Care Unit
  • Neurosurgical Unit
  • Surgical Critical Care Unit
  • Medical Critical Care Unit
  • University of Hawaiʻi Departments of Internal Medicine, Surgery and Psychiatry residency programs and the Cardiology fellowship are primarily located at the Queen's Medical Center

John A. Burns School of Medicine

The John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) is located in Kakaʻako. The Kakaʻako campus is comprised of two main buildings: the Medical Education Building and the Biosciences Building. Courses for the Masters of Science in Clinical Research Program are held at JABSOM. The Dean of JABSOM is T. Samuel Shomaker, MD, JD, MSM.

More JABSOM videos HERE.

Program Director

Men-Jean Lee, MD
mjlee3@hawaii.edu

Associate Program Director
Kelly Yamasato, MD
kyamasat@hawaii.edu
Associate Program Director
Stacy Tsai, MD
paijong@hawaii.edu
Program Administrator
Lisa Kellett
kellett@hawaii.edu
Administrative Assistant