Fellowship in Family Planning

The Fellowship in Family Planning at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai is a two-year fellowship focused on subspecialty training in research, teaching, and clinical practice in abortion and contraception. Working with our Family Planning faculty and colleagues throughout New York City, fellows learn about clinical and epidemiologic research, develop clinical and teaching skills, experience reproductive health issues internationally, and establish connections with family planning experts throughout the nation. During the two-year program, fellows design and conduct an independent research project, and have the option of pursuing a master’s degree in Public Health or Clinical Research.

All fellows train at The Mount Sinai Hospital, Mount Sinai Beth Israel, and Planned Parenthood of New York City. Family Planning fellows have the opportunity to collaborate with other Divisions and Departments within the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences; the Medical School; and The Mount Sinai Health System.

Fellows receive mentorship from Fellowship Director, Britt Lunde, MD, MPH; Associate Fellowship Director and Mount Sinai Beth Israel Division of Family Planning Director, Laura MacIsaac, MD, MPH; Mount Sinai Health System Director of Family Planning, Adam Jacobs, MD; and Planned Parenthood of NYC Chief Medical Officer, Ila Dayananda, MD, MPH.

For more information on the Fellowship in Family Planning, see http://www.familyplanningfellowship.org/

For a complete program overview, click here.

Our Family Planning Division serves an ethnically, racially, and economically diverse patient population. Our fellowship is recognized as a high volume training program. Training takes place at The Mount Sinai Hospital and Mount Sinai Beth Israel, as well as outpatient settings including Planned Parenthood of New York City (PPNYC), one of the largest and oldest Planned Parenthood affiliates in the United States. Family Planning Fellows train in contraception provision, sterilization, surgical abortion through 24 weeks, medication abortion, management of failed and abnormal pregnancy, abortion care for women between 24 to 26 weeks with maternal or fetal indications for termination, and adolescent reproductive health care.

Fellows design and execute a family planning research project on a topic of their choosing. Research may be conducted within the Mount Sinai Health System, Planned Parenthood of NYC, or at their global health site.

Fellows also have the opportunity to pursue a Master’s in Public Health or a Master’s in Clinical Research. In many cases, the fellowship research project can fulfill the Master’s degree requirements. Fellows present their research at the Fellowship Annual Meeting, which is held before the Annual Clinical Meeting of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

In addition to clinical care and research training, all fellows hone their skills as educators. Fellows teach medical students, participate in the training of residents, and provide training in contraception to adolescent health fellows. Fellows are expected to attend and occasionally present at weekly family planning didactics with other members of the Division including the fellowship directors, division director, and any residents or medical students on rotation. Fellows present at Departmental Grand Rounds once during their fellowship. Fellows also have the opportunity to attend and present at the Physicians for Reproductive Health Family Planning Grand Rounds, held several times per year. Fellows also provide a training session for Advanced Practice Clinicians at PPNYC once during their fellowship.

All fellows complete a family planning-focused placement in a developing nation. We have many international opportunities for fellows. The Division of Global Health supports active clinical and research sites in Liberia, South Africa, the Dominican Republic, and Colombia. Fellows are also encouraged to contact outside institutions to collaborate based on their specific interests in international work. 

Interested fellows are encouraged to participate in the Physicians for Reproductive Health Leadership Training Academy during their second fellowship year. Fellows may also apply for policy fellowships with American Congresss of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and rotate with the Population Council or Guttmacher Institute.

Fellows are expected to attend all conferences in the field of family planning, including the National Forum on Family Planning, the annual meeting of the National Abortion Federation, and the annual meeting of the Fellowship in Family Planning. In addition, fellows are encouraged to attend fellowship specific workshops, including the workshop on Psychosocial Issues in Abortion Care.

Fellows are expected to take overnight in-house calls once or twice a month (except during their global health rotation) to provide attending-level coverage of labor and delivery. In addition, fellows may choose to participate in general gynecology cases staffed by the family planning faculty.

For more information please contact Britt Lunde, MD at britt.lunde@mssm.edu.