Clinical Experiences

Our fellowship offers a comprehensive and highly individualized clinical experience, designed to prepare fellows for leadership in all areas of maternal-fetal medicine.

Ultrasound training
Fellows receive extensive, hands-on ultrasound training with dedicated mentorship from MFM faculty and the Women’s Imaging Specialists group. Opportunities for advanced skill development in fetal echocardiography are available through close collaboration with the Pediatric Cardiology division.

Genetics training
Fellows build expertise in prenatal genetics by working closely with board-certified genetic counselors, collaborating with medical geneticists, and participating in integrated multidisciplinary genetics clinics.

Intensive care training
Fellows graduate with advanced competency in obstetric critical care through dedicated rotations in the cardiovascular intensive care unit, which manages the full spectrum of critically ill obstetric patients. Multidisciplinary faculty provide structured didactics, complemented by high-fidelity simulation training at the Mark Richardson Interprofessional Simulation Center. These experiences emphasize team-based care, clinical decision-making, and leadership in high-acuity settings.

Procedure training
Fellows are actively involved in the care of patients seeking prenatal diagnosis and fetal intervention. Procedural training is progressive and immersive, incorporating didactics, simulation, and closely supervised hands-on experience to ensure technical proficiency, sound clinical judgment, and confidence.

• Diagnostic testing: amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling
• Fetal procedures: Amnioreduction, fetal blood sampling, intrauterine transfusions, fetal shunts, and potassium chloride injections
• Labor and delivery procedures: McDonald and Shirodkar cerclage placements for cervical insufficiency; management of complex deliveries for fetal anomalies; twin-breech extraction; and operative vaginal deliveries

Fetal Care and Surgery Program
The Fetal Care Program provides coordinated, comprehensive care for women with complex fetal anomalies throughout Oregon and Southwest Washington. The program is co-directed by Andrew Chon, M.D. (MFM) and Raphael Sun, M.D. (Pediatric Surgery), offering families surgical and procedural options for complex fetal conditions.

The program provides:

• Maternal-fetal medicine consultation and advanced prenatal imaging, including ultrasound, fetal echocardiography, and fetal MRI
• Genetic counseling, testing, and support services for patients, siblings and families
• In utero procedure training, including thoracentesis, vesicocentesis, thoraco-amniotic and bladder shunt placement, and intrauterine transfusions
• Fetal surgery, including repair of neural tube defects and fetoscopic laser surgery for twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome
• Pediatric subspecialty consultation, including cardiology, general pediatric surgery, pediatric cardiothoracic surgery, urology, neurology, ENT, endocrine, nephrology, hematology, gastroenterology, and palliative care
• Coordination of complex deliveries and postnatal follow-up, including ongoing testing and care planning
• Opportunity for outcomes-based fetal anomaly clinical research
• Weekly multidisciplinary conferences to review imaging, diagnostics, and care plans for both antenatal and postnatal management

MFM/Adult Congenital Heart Disease Program
This multidisciplinary program brings together maternal-fetal medicine and cardiology subspecialists to provide expert care for the growing number of women with complex congenital heart disease referred to OHSU. This program includes:

• A weekly multidisciplinary clinic with MFM specialists, adult congenital heart disease cardiologists, cardiac geneticists, and anesthesiologists
• A monthly multidisciplinary conference to review and cases and coordinate antenatal, intrapartum, and postnatal care

Diabetes and Pregnancy Program
The Diabetes and Pregnancy Program provides comprehensive care for individuals with gestational diabetes, type 1 and type 2 diabetes, inherited or autoimmune-mediated diabetes, pre- and post-bariatric surgery care, obesity, dyslipidemia, and PCOS throughout Oregon and Southwest Washington. The DAPP team includes a perinatal dietitian, advanced practice providers, and social support professionals. This program includes:

• Weekly clinic with pre-clinic journal review, educational sessions, and case review conference
• Training in nutritional health, lifestyle behaviors, and strategies addressing the developmental origins of health and adult-onset diseases (DOHaD)
• Experience optimizing long-term maternal and fetal health across diverse patient populations
• Hands-on training with diabetes technology, including insulin pumps, continuous glucose monitors, glucometers, and health apps, to improve glycemic control and pregnancy outcomes

Maternal-Fetal Medicine and Hematology Clinic
This multidisciplinary program is co-directed by Ashley E. Benson, M.D., M.A., M.S. (MFM) and Sven Olson, M.D., M.S. (Hematology). It provides specialized, consultative care for pregnant individuals with hematologic disorders, including bleeding disorders and thrombophilias, across Oregon and Southwest Washington. Fellows participate in coordinated, patient-centered care, gaining expertise in managing complex hematologic conditions during pregnancy.

Educational and Scholarly opportunities

Fellowship education
Education is the primary focus of our program, and fellows have protected time for all educational activities. The MFM Fellowship is designed to support and customize each fellow’s individual educational goals and career development.

Fellows have a protected half-day each week dedicated to structured educational activities, including simulation, didactics, journal club, hands-on training, and chapter reviews. In addition, fellows participate in multiple recurring learning opportunities throughout the program, ensuring comprehensive exposure to both clinical and academic aspects of maternal-fetal medicine.

• MFM Division weekly morning conference
• Fetal Care Conference: multidisciplinary review of cases and imaging to develop coordinated care plans
• Monthly Ultrasound Conference: review of complex fetal anomaly cases with Fetal Radiology colleagues
• NICU/MFM Quarterly Conference: multidisciplinary presentations on clinical conditions affecting the pregnant individual and offspring
• MFM/Adult Congenital Heart Disease Quarterly Conference: multidisciplinary review of cardiac conditions complicating pregnancy
• All Ob/Gyn Subspecialty Quarterly Seminar: collaborative learning across all OHSU Ob/Gyn subspecialties (Urogynecology, Complex Family Planning, Reproductive Endocrinology/Infertility, MFM) to explore topics impacting all programs and foster fellow community
• Journal Club: quarterly discussions focused on maternal and fetal medicine topics
• Oregon Perinatal and Neonatal Network Monthly Conference: collaborative education with centers across Oregon
• NICU/Genetic Rounds: learning alongside genetic counselors, medical geneticists and MFM/MGG faculty on genetic assessments in the NICU

Fellows are supported in attending key educational and career-building conferences throughout their fellowship. All fellows are expected to attend the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM) Annual Meeting each year.  In addition, fellows participate in the following:

• PGY5 – SMFM First Year Fellows Retreat and GOHO MFM Ultrasound Course
• PGY6 – OHSU Developmental Origins of Adult Onset Diseases (DOHaD) Summer Course
• PGY7 – MFM Critical Care in Obstetrics Course

Fellowship Scholarly Activity
Fellowship provides protected time for fellows to explore research methodologies and develop robust skills in the scientific process. Understanding and applying the research process is a foundational pillar of training, essential for becoming an effective clinician, and required for completion of the fellowship.

Fellows develop research skills that support analytic thinking, evidence-based clinical decision-making, and the investigation of knowledge gaps in maternal-fetal medicine. The program provides multiple resources to help fellows design, perform, and complete high-quality thesis projects.

• Mentors: From day one, fellows are introduced to a range of potential research mentors to guide their projects.
• Funding: Fellows are encouraged to apply for departmental funding as well as institutional opportunities to support research projects.
• MFM Research Unit: A dedicated research team is available to assist fellows in completing clinical studies.
• Biostatistical support: Biostatisticians work closely with fellows from the development of the research question through statistical interpretation and analysis.
• Opportunities for collaboration
  • Oregon Non-human Primate Center
  • Oregon Perinatal Collaborative
  • Center for Developmental Health, Knight Cardiovascular Institute
  • Moore Institute for Health & Wellness
  • Portland State University, School of Public Health

Conferences
Fellows are expected to participate in scholarly activities throughout their fellowship and submit their science to regional, national, and international conferences that align with their career goals, fostering networking, expertise, and professional reputation. The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology provides financial support for fellows whose research is accepted at meetings such as SMFM, Society for Reproductive Investigations, AIUM, Gordon Conferences, Keystone Meetings, and the International Federation of Placenta Associations.

OHSU Career Advancing Programs

Our fellowship is designed to train clinicians who excel in research, education, and clinical care. We support a customizable curriculum that allows fellows to develop expertise in their chosen domains and cultivate leadership skills. These programs provide fellows with flexible, high-impact opportunities to tailor their training and advance their long-term career goals in research, public health, and education.

Human Investigations Program (HIP): This program is designed to enhance the skills and number of patient-oriented clinical investigators. It is targeted toward fellows and early-career investigators. Successful completion of the HIP program during fellowship can lead to either a Graduate Certificate in Human Investigations or a Master of Clinical Research (MCR) awarded by OHSU.

• Certificate in Human Investigations: A two-year, coursework-based program focused on creating clinician-researchers through an integrated clinical and translational research curriculum.
• Master of Clinical Research (MCR): Fellows who complete the two-year HIP program can add a third year to earn the three-year OHSU MCR, providing structured training for clinicians and scientists who aim to make clinical and translational research central to their careers.

Master in Public Health (MPH): Offered through the OHSU-PSU School of Public Health, with six programs and various concentrations. PSU is a national model for community engagement and academic innovation. This program prepares trainees to become future public health leaders, advancing scholarship and practice in collaboration with communities to promote health and social equity.

Education Scholars Program: A one-year certificate program designed to prepare education leaders to excel in both the scholarship of teaching and education research. This program is ideal for trainees interested in careers focused on health professions education scholarship.

Mentorship

Mentorship is a foundational pillar of our MFM fellowship. Prior to starting at OHSU, fellows are introduced to various faculty within the MFM Division, the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and other disciplines to begin building meaningful professional relationships.

Scholarship Advisory Committee
Each fellow is supported by a personalized Scholarship Advisory Committee, composed of OHSU faculty and, when appropriate, external mentors. This committee provides guidance and advocacy across research, clinical development, professional growth, and career planning. The committee meets twice yearly to review progress, identify opportunities, and address any barriers to success.

Fellow Support
 

• Monthly group fellowship meetings with Drs. Benson and Valent to share experiences, provide feedback, review program updates, and discuss fellowship-related topics
• Monthly one-on-one meetings with program leadership to support individual progress and well-being

Fellows are supported in developing clinical autonomy in both outpatient and inpatient care, as well as fetal ultrasound. MFM faculty remain readily available for supervision, teaching, and consultation. Faculty also provide ongoing mentorship throughout all phases of scholarly work, including project development, recruitment, data analysis, publication, and thesis preparation.

Many support systems are available through the institution and Graduate Medical Education. Fellows are encouraged to take advantage of these programs.

Application information

To apply online please visit the ERAS website.

All required residency education must be completed in an ACGME-accredited residency program or in an RCPSC-accredited or CFPC-accredited program located in Canada for entry into ACGME-accredited fellowship programs.

CREOG scores are not required.

A complete application must include:

• ERAS application
• CV
• Official transcripts
• MSPE (Dean's letter)
• Personal statement
• Photo
• USMLE/COMLEX
• ECFMG (if visa sponsorship is required)
• 3 Letters of recommendation (1 must be from Director of your OBGYN Residency Program)

Important dates:

• April 27, 2026: Deadline for applications to be included in the first notification
• May 18, 2026: Single notification date for interviews
• May 26, 2026: Initial deadline to accept or decline interviews

Interview dates: 

• July 8, 2026: Medical Genetics and Genomics/MFM Interviews
• July 13, 2026: MFM Interviews
• July 15, 2026: MFM Interviews

* All interviews will be virtual. 

For fellow applicants that interview with our program, we offer an in-person second look opportunity at the end of the summer after the program rank list is submitted. Dates will be released on interview day.

Questions?

To contact the fellowship program, please emailmfmfellowship@ohsu.edu