Specific Obstetric Objectives
Antepartum Care:
The resident must have an extensive knowledge of maternal physiological changes in pregnancy, fetal development and physiology, antepartum assessment of mother and fetus, and the effects of underlying medical, surgical, social and environmental conditions on pregnancy. The resident must have a working knowledge of genetic screening, testing and preconceptional counseling. The resident must have the extensive knowledge and skills necessary to evaluate the health of mother and fetus, including appropriate history taking and physical examination, provision of comprehensive ongoing antepartum surveillance, ability to identify deviation from normality, and the effective use of laboratory testing, imaging and non- stress testing. He/she will be able to implement appropriate management strategies where deviation from normal is identified.
Medical and Surgical Complications:
The resident must have a broad working knowledge of medical, surgical and psychosocial complications of pregnancy and their appropriate management, including timely consultation or transfer of care.
Obstetric Complications:
The resident must have extensive knowledge of the pathophysiology, prevention, investigation,
diagnosis and management of common obstetric complications at all stages of pregnancy
including second trimester pregnancy loss, preterm labor, premature rupture of membranes,
antepartum hemorrhage, pregnancy induced hypertension, eclampsia, multiple gestation, fetal
growth restriction, isoimmunisation, dystocia, post-term pregnancy, and fetal death.
Intrapartum Care:
The resident must have the extensive knowledge and skills necessary to conduct normal and complicated labor and delivery. He/she will be able to assess maternal and fetal health and progress in labor utilizing history and physical examination, intermittent auscultation, electronic fetal monitoring, basic ultrasound imaging and fetal scalp blood sampling. The resident must have extensive knowledge of techniques of induction and augmentation of labor, including indications, methodology, pharmacology, management and complications. He/she should have an in depth knowledge of obstetric analgesia and anesthesia.
Delivery:
The resident must have extensive knowledge and skills with respect to the mechanisms and techniques of spontaneous and assisted vaginal delivery. He/she will have the ability to identify situations requiring assisted delivery, and be able to appropriately perform, under supervision, forceps delivery, vacuum extraction, cesarean section, breech delivery, twin delivery, management of shoulder dystocia, repair of obstetric lacerations and vaginal birth after cesarean delivery.
Postpartum:
The resident must have extensive knowledge of the puerperium and the skills necessary to provide postpartum care, including the recognition and management of early and delayed postpartum hemorrhage and sepsis, promotion of breastfeeding , family planning, recognition of risk factors for depression and support in psychosocial adjustment.
Medical Imaging:
The resident must be able to perform a limited diagnostic obstetric ultrasound scan for the purpose of ascertaining placental localization, fetal number, fetal presentation, and the level of fetal well-being, including viability.
Neonatal Resuscitation:
The resident will have the working knowledge and skills necessary to recognize abnormalities of the neonate. He/she must be able to carry out an appropriate physical examination of the newborn and know when to seek the assistance of a pediatrician. He/she must be able to institute initial resuscitation and stabilization of the new-born.
Planning care for anticipated preterm delivery:
The resident will demonstrate the use of knowledge of gestation and birth weight-specific outcomes and the likely care needs of preterm neonates so as to counsel patients at risk of preterm delivery on the prognosis so as to enable couples to make informed choices about delivery options, in close consultation with neonatology colleagues.