Newsletter Fall 2024
Message from Department Chair, Deborah Krakow, MD
Fall is a time of great excitement and energy at academic medical centers like UCLA Health and the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. New and returning students begin classes, residents and fellows continue with their training, and our faculty have the opportunity to mold the next generation of surgeon-scientists.
UCLA’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology believes deeply in the commitment of teaching and mentorship, and it is a key pillar of our department’s mission. Thousands of young trainees have been a part of our educational programs across every academic level, and these professionals now work in every corner of the nation and in many countries around the world.
Our faculty are leaders in care and research and are uniquely positioned to provide first in class instruction and mentorship to fellows, residents and medical students. Innovation is radically changing the landscape of healthcare with advances in technology (AI, robot assisted surgery, wireless fetal monitoring, non-invasive prenatal testing), and UCLA leads or is a part of most of these pioneering high-tech developments. Access to state-of-the-art training like our Center for Advanced Surgical & Interventional Technology (CASIT) allows our trainees to participate in simulations that are improving care and patient outcomes.
Our leadership in teaching is also reflected in the department’s commitment to our community. OBGYN trainees are a significant part of the outstanding care we provide at our West Med clinic. This community based clinical practice provides comprehensive, high quality family planning and reproductive health services, regardless of ability to pay. Nelson Mandela said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” We are proud to be part of the nation’s top public university, and of our commitment to training the next generation of well-rounded obstetrician-gynecologists.
In this issue of OBGYNews you’ll meet our new class of fellows and residents and you’ll read about Dr. Ilina Pluym, maternal-fetal medicine specialist, and her efforts to develop the first of its kind, newly established multidisciplinary preconception, pregnancy and postpartum + IBD clinic. And we’ll let you know how you can join hundreds of cancer survivors and their friends and family in the 2024 Sandy Sprint 5k run/walk to support ovarian cancer research. Wishing you a safe and healthy fall, and a holiday season filled with family and friends.
Deborah Krakow, MD
Chair, UCLA Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology