Pathways: Training the Next Generation of Full-Spectrum Family Physicians
Family Medicine Obstetrics Fellowship Prepares Physicians to Lead, Teach, and Serve
When Rhamat Na'Allah, MD, assumed leadership of the former Women's Health Fellowship within the Department of Family and Community Medicine in 2013, she envisioned a program that would go beyond specialized training to prepare physicians to deliver full-spectrum family medicine care with surgical obstetrics expertise. From that vision, the Family Medicine Obstetrics Fellowship (FM-OB) was born.
"Our mission is to train future leaders in full-spectrum family medicine with surgical obstetrics and women's health," says Dr. Na'Allah. "These physicians are closing care gaps in their communities while teaching and mentoring the next generation."
The fellowship aligns closely with the broader mission of the Department of Family and Community Medicine and the medical school — promoting patient-centered, holistic care, advancing primary care research, and reducing health disparities. Fellows are encouraged to approach medicine through a lens of collaboration, community engagement, and innovation in education and care delivery.
What makes this fellowship unique is its comprehensive scope and commitment to teaching and leadership development. Fellows gain intensive surgical and procedural experience, including cesarean sections, hysteroscopies, postpartum tubal ligations, and more while also refining their skills in ultrasound and office-based gynecology. In addition, fellows gain experience in a wide range of procedural training ranging from circumcision and frenotomies to endometrial biopsy, artificial rupture of membranes, fetal scalp electrode placement and management of labor and delivery.
The curriculum integrates certification in CenteringPregnancy which is a prenatal care model that combines standard medical appointments with group sessions and provides skill development for fellows in the areas of group prenatal care, patient education, facilitation and team-based management.
Fellows also complete advanced ultrasound training, leadership courses, and participation in scholarly work through research and presentations. With teaching as a core focus, FM-OB fellows lead educational sessions for residents, medical students and nursing staff.
Graduates of the FM-OB Fellowship are now practicing across the country in academic centers, community health clinics, and rural hospitals. Many alumni fellows serve regions that would otherwise lack obstetric care.
"Our fellows are helping to transform obstetric deserts into places where women and families can access safe, compassionate, and comprehensive care," says Lizabeth Kaeb, MD, assistant program director for the fellowship.
More than half of program graduates now serve in academic medicine, continuing the cycle of teaching and mentorship.
This article is part of the Spring 2026 issue of Pathways magazine.