Skip to main content

Maternal-Fetal Medicine Maternal Fetal Medicine and Reproductive Genetics Fellowship Program

SMFM 2023

The Fellowship in Maternal Fetal Medicine and Reproductive Genetics aims to train leaders by providing outstanding clinical and research training. Clinical training focuses on all aspects of Maternal Fetal Medicine and Reproductive Genetics, including obstetrical, fetal, medical, and surgical complications of pregnancy. Fellows actively participate in inpatient and outpatient clinical care of patients with complex medical conditions. Outpatient multidisciplinary clinics dedicated to specific maternal diseases include a joint clinic with Cardiology (the Pregnancy and Cardiac Team (PACT) clinic), a joint clinic with Hematology, and a joint clinic with Endocrinology.

As one of the birthplaces of fetal surgery, UCSF has an ongoing robust program in fetal therapy at the Fetal Treatment Center (FTC). The UCSF FTC was one of the sites for MOMS trial, investigating prenatal surgery for the repair of fetal myelomeningoceles. Our fellows rotate in the FTC and receive invaluable training in the care of complex fetal abnormalities that may or may not undergo fetal surgery. Fellows are involved in counseling patients in clinic and in participating in the weekly multidisciplinary conference focusing on diagnosis and care plan for our most complex fetal patients. Our fellows also obtain extensive ultrasound experience in the Prenatal Diagnosis Center (PDC) and graduate with California state certification for amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling (CVS) at graduation.

Comprehensive research training includes a formal course of study, Training in Clinical Research (TICR), with additional options including training in basic and/or translational science, masters’ level training in clinical research, or masters’ level training in public health or epidemiology at UC Berkeley. Our fellows are encouraged to attend and present their research findings at various local and national conferences, including the Annual Pregnancy Meeting (SMFM), the Annual Meeting of the Society for Reproductive Investigation (SRI), the international Cardiac Problems in Pregnancy (CPP) congress, and the Annual Meeting of the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM).

Our fellows have a weekly formal didactic lecture series, in addition to numerous departmental conferences for further learning. Our fellows also attend the departmental Fellows College, where they are provided with mentoring, academic advice, and networking resources.

Our program values ongoing efforts to make quality improvement and patient safety in obstetrics a priority. Our fellows are engaged in quality improvement efforts on multiple levels: as practitioners, educators, and researchers. Research and dissemination in the area of quality improvement is encouraged.

Our department also offers combined fellowship programs with Pediatrics Medical Genetics and with the Preterm Birth Initiative. 

MFM/Genetics fellowship

The Fellowship in combined Maternal Fetal Medicine (MFM) and Clinical Genetics trains leaders in the field of MFM/Genetics by providing outstanding clinical and research training. The 4-year curriculum combines all aspects of MFM, including obstetrical, fetal, medical, and surgical complications of pregnancy with all aspects of clinical genetics, including prenatal, pediatric, cancer, cyto- and molecular genetics. MFM/Genetics fellows also participate in complex prenatal genetics consultations with our MFM/Genetics faculty throughout fellowship, to gain in depth understanding of prenatal testing options, fetal manifestations of disease, and management of fetal and maternal genetic diseases in pregnancy. Following the 4 years of MFM/Genetics training, fellows are qualified to become board certified in MFM as well as Clinical Genetics. 

MFM/PTBi fellowship

The UCSF Preterm Birth Initiative (PTBi) is a transdisciplinary research effort aimed at reducing the burden of prematurity. MFM fellows may dedicate a year of their training to a postdoctoral fellowship through the PTBi that is funded by a T32 training grant from NICHD. The PTBi program brings together postdoctoral scholars from a variety of disciplines to acquire skills necessary to conduct powerful, collaborative research aimed to reduce preterm birth, improve outcomes in underserved communities globally, and increase diversity in emerging research faculty. More information on the PDF icon MFM-PTBi Fellowship.

PROGRAM DIRECTOR: Teresa Sparks, MD,  
ASSOCIATE PROGRAM DIRECTOR: Marya Zlatnik, MD

Click here for more information about the UCSF Maternal-Fetal Medicine Division.