Cedars-Sinai Receives Nation's First Accreditation for Obstetric Anesthesia Fellowship

Year-long program offers advanced training, research for future leaders in field

Los Angeles - May 23, 2012 – Cedars-Sinai has received the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education’s first approval for an obstetric anesthesiology fellowship program.

The year-long fellowship provides advanced experience and training in all aspects of obstetric anesthesiology including research, administration and clinical management of both normal and high-risk patients. Fellows work with Cedars-Sinai’s obstetric anesthesiologists, who are dedicated full time to caring for pregnant patients on the Labor and Delivery floor. Fellows will spend the bulk of their time on Labor and Delivery but also may undertake rotations in research, neonatal intensive care and in the Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine.

“That we have full-time faculty dedicated solely to obstetrics and gynecology, and we are a leading and trusted provider of maternity services, with more than 7,000 births annually, makes Cedars-Sinai a very attractive medical center for fellows preparing for a career in obstetric anesthesiology,” said Roya Yumul, MD, PhD, director of educational programs and core program director in the Department of Anesthesiology.

The program is led by Mark Zakowski, MD, obstetric fellowship program director, and Sivam Ramanathan, MD, associate program director and obstetric research director.

The fellowship seeks to provide not only a strong clinical foundation but also development of future leaders in the field. Fellows are encouraged to participate in research, collaborating on ongoing projects or launching their own.

“Our goal is to not only produce physicians who will perform at the top of their field, but also innovators who will keep improving the quality, efficiency and safety of patient care,” Yumul said.

The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education is a private, nonprofit organization that evaluates and accredits about 8,700 medical residency programs in 130 specialties and subspecialties nationwide. This year is the first year it has offered accreditation in the subspecialty of obstetric anesthesiology.