CONTACT

Obstetrics & Gynecology Residency

Message from the Program Director

E Komo Mai – Welcome

Aloha from the University of Hawai‘i Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency Program. We are a university-based program with clinical training done in community hospitals. As the only civilian Ob/Gyn residency program in the state, our residents rotate at the major medical centers on Oahu that provide care for women. Their training is enhanced by working within different systems and caring for a very diverse population.

Our collegial residents come from medical schools across the country. They are caring, hard-working, and committed to the care they provide their patients. From the very start of residency, they participate fully in our very busy obstetrics, gynecologic, and subspecialty services. Our residency graduates report back that they are confident in their practice or fellowship due to the high volume of cases and wide-ranging clinical experiences during residency.

Mark Hiraoka, M.D., M.S.
Associate Professor
Associate Chair of Academic Affairs
Residency Program Director

Our program was founded in 1949, and is sponsored by the University of Hawai‘i John A. Burns School of Medicine (UH-JABSOM) in partnership with multiple health care systems. The OB/GYN Residency Training Program is based at Kapi`olani Medical Center for Women & Children with rotations at Queens Medical Center, Kaiser Medical Center, Pali Momi Medical Center, and Hilo Medical Center. The residency program is fully accredited by the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). Led by Ivica Zalud, MD, PhD, Kosasa Endowed Chair, the department is committed to education. Residents benefit from the over $8.3 million in philanthropy raised over the past 5 years. Endowed chairs and professorships help fund research, visiting professorships, resident education and Native Hawaiian women’s health.

We are committed to providing quality healthcare to all the women of our island community and beyond. We are dedicated to evidence-based lifelong learning and becoming technically proficient physicians in the field of obstetrics and gynecology. We will stay abreast of, and when possible, directly participate in, current research in our field with the ultimate goal of providing superior care for our patients. We strive to maintain an environment that encourages camaraderie and good rapport among the entire healthcare team. As colleagues, we will support each other professionally and personally and build lifelong friendships.

Along with the many changes being required of training programs is the opportunity for innovation and creativity in discovering and refining new teaching and assessment techniques and utilizing new venues for learning. We are embracing these opportunities while recognizing that the core strength of our program is the synergy resulting from a diverse yet cohesive group of dedicated residents and faculty sharing a path of life-long learning.

Women’s Health

  • As physicians, we wish to be competent, compassionate, and responsible practitioners making evidence-based decisions. We strive to stay at the forefront of technology in our field while remembering the importance of a holistic approach to each patient.

Education

  • We aim for an educational environment which honors and respects the significant contributions our diverse faculty and teaching staff have to offer while fostering an opportunity for open intellectual discussion. We will be enthusiastic, motivated, and self-directed learners while striving to be inspirational, available, and up-to-date educators.

Research

  • We will foster intellectual curiosity as we strive for a respected research program that is clinically based, self-directed and faculty mentored.

Team Spirit

  • We build camaraderie by maintaining an excellent rapport between residents, faculty, administration, and support staff. We will be supportive and respectful of our fellow residents in a collaborative and sharing culture.

Balance

  • While realizing the importance of immersing ourselves in these four years of postgraduate training we acknowledge the importance of being well rounded and having a life separate from the program. We are dedicated to being active participants in our community, dependable, balanced, and supportive family members, and self-aware, spiritually centered, and self-improving individuals.

Core Faculty & Staff

There are 57 clinical faculty members active in the Department’s education and research programs. Residents learn from and are supervised by University of Hawai‘i faculty spanning the breadth of the specialty; 21 general Obstetrician/Gynecologists, 4 gynecologic oncologists, 7 maternal-fetal medicine subspecialists, 3 urogynecologists, 3 reproductive endocrinologists, and 5 family planning subspecialists trained in the Ryan program, and one Ph.D. Andrologist/Embryologist.

Program Details

Curriculum

Clinical conferences, case discussions, didactic lectures, grand rounds, and pathology conferences are included in the weekly meeting schedule. In addition, tumor board, perinatal board, and journal club are held monthly. Each year, several visiting professors from medical schools and teaching hospitals throughout the United States participate in the teaching program by spending one week conducting approximately 10 hours of lectures and discussions with the residents. During scheduled teaching sessions with the visiting professor, most residents are released from all but emergency duties. This is true for regular teaching sessions as well.

M&Ms at Kapi’olani Medical Center for Women & Children

The University of Hawai’i OB/GYN and Women’s Health Department has recognized that the primary function of Morbidity and Mortality (M&M) conferences is education and has created a venue to discuss, evaluate, develop, and disseminate effective strategies for improved patient care.

Selected cases are presented stepwise to simulate the case’s chronology as it unfolded to the OB/GYN team. Residents actively listen and are asked management questions along the way, appropriate for their level of training and expertise. Through straightforward and non-judgmental explanations of what happened, and free-flowing exchanges, participants gain a better understanding of the events and focus on the goal of improved patient care.

The M&M conferences teach and enhance the culture of medicine, and stress the value of knowledge, skill, and alertness in caring for patients. A dynamic atmosphere for M&M conferences has been created that fosters a cooperative esprit de corps within the OB/GYN community.

Research Week

The Faculty of the University of Hawai`i, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women’s Health have made a commitment to improve and strengthen departmental research efforts. The Annual Resident Research Day, now in its twenty-second year, serves as an example of the importance placed on participating in the development of new knowledge and contributing to current literature. In 2003, in honor of Roy T. Nakayama’s tenure as Chair of the Department of OB/GYN, and in recognition of his support of research, the Resident Research Day was expanded and renamed “The Research Week”. A prominent professor recognized for his/her expertise in research is invited to speak and select the most outstanding resident research project at Research Day. The professor also presents a series of lectures and conducts working sessions with our residents, faculty & any interested teaching staff members to help enhance their research efforts.

ACOG (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists)

Every year, the program provides coverage to allow the third-year residents to attend the Annual American College of Obstetricians and Gynecology (ACOG) Hawaii Section Meeting where our Hawaii delegation meets directly with our legislators from the US Senate and House of Representatives. 

During these sessions, residents learn about different ways to be an advocate, including direct patient encounters, such as accessing interpreters or obtaining medications, local lobbying efforts, and tackling issues on a state or federal level. 

We are fortunate to be located close to the Hawai’i State Legislature. Every year the program holds a Legislative Lobby Day, where the residents go to the capitol to meet with state legislators and discuss women’s health issues. In 2019, the residents advocated for an ACOG-driven bill relating to midwife licensure, and the bill was successfully passed that year. Residents have testified at the State Legislature to provide a physician voice for women’s health issues, and some of our residents have successfully published op-ed articles during their residency.

Rotation Schedule

2020-2021 RESIDENT ROTATIONS

PGY-1:

  • Kapiolani Obstetrics/Night Float*
  • Night Float*/Kapiolani Obstetrics
  • Kapiolani Gynecology and Family Planning
  • OB Ultrasound
  • Intensive Care Unit
  • Queen’s Ob/Gyn
  • Queen’s Night Float
  • Kapiolani Gyn Oncology (including Colposcopy, PATH Clinic for women with a history of substance use disorder)
  • Weekly Continuity Clinic throughout

PGY-2:

  • Kapiolani Obstetrics/Night Float*
  • Night Float*/Kapiolani Obstetrics
  • Kapiolani Gynecology and REI
  • Maternal Fetal Medicine
  • Queen’s Ob/Gyn
  • Pali Momi Gynecology/Breast
  • Weekly Continuity Clinic throughout

PGY-3:

  • Kapiolani Obstetrics/Night Float*
  • Night Float*/Kapiolani Obstetrics
  • Urogynecology
  • Elective
  • Kapiolani Gyn Oncology*
  • Hilo Medical Center Gynecology*
  • Pali Momi Gynecology and Ultrasound
  • Kaiser Moanalua Ob/Gyn
  • Weekly Continuity Clinic throughout

PGY-4:

  • Kapiolani Obstetrics
  • Kapiolani Gynecology
  • Queen’s Gyn Oncology
  • Queen’s Ob/Gyn
  • REI and Breast
  • Pali Momi Gynecology
  • Maternal Fetal Medicine 
  • Selective (options include Breastfeeding in Medicine, Gyn Ultrasound, etc.)
  • Hilo Medical Center Gynecology*
  • FQHC Continuity Clinic throughout

*No continuity clinic during these rotations

Training Sites

  • The residents have their own outpatient clinics at Kapiolani Medical Center and Queens Medical Center where a team approach is used to provide continuity of care. The resident clinics provide prenatal and postpartum care, routine gynecology, and primary care. The residents also run a clinic specific for adolescent and teen patients and a resident-run REI clinic. The chief residents also see continuity patients in nearby Federally Qualified Health Centers. 
  • In addition to the resident-run clinics, residents spend time in subspecialty clinics. These outpatient experiences include high risk obstetrics, reproductive endocrinology, and infertility, urogynecology, gynecologic oncology, ultrasound, substance use, and breast clinic.

Application

How to Apply

Resident Selection

  1. All first-year appointments are made through the NRMP. Applications are reviewed and selections are made by a committee, appointed by the Program Director. The committee includes representatives from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, John A. Burns School of Medicine, and the current resident physicians. 
  2. All interested candidates should apply through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS). The selection committee invites applicants to interview once their ERAS application has received a number/favorable review. A limited number of interview slots are available. Therefore, applicants are encouraged to transmit their ERAS application at the earliest possible time.

Applicant Requirements

Training Requirements

  1. A temporary license to practice in the State of Hawai`i is required of all first-year residents and must be obtained before assignment commences. No oral or written examination is required, but photostatic copies of the medical school degree and internship certificate, when applicable, must be presented at the time of filing. Any applicant who qualifies for the program also qualifies for a temporary license. We will assist matched residents in obtaining this license.
  2. Professional liability insurance is provided by Hawaii Residency Programs, Inc. but covers the resident only when functioning within the training program. The program does not require residents to have additional insurance. Moonlighting is not permitted under any circumstances.
  3. Graduates of medical schools outside of the U.S. must be certified by the Educational Council for Foreign Medical Graduates to be considered for our program. In addition, graduates of medical schools outside of the U.S. and Canada must have a minimum of one year of prior training in an approved resident training program in the U.S. to be considered for our program at the first-year level. This year of training must include at least three months of internal medicine and at least two months each of pediatrics, surgery, and ob-gyn. A 5th Pathway Program cannot be substituted for this year of post-graduate training. There are no exceptions to these rules. Please do not submit an application unless you satisfy these requirements.
  4. Final selection is based on references received from the applicant’s medical school or hospitals where prior training was received. National Board, USMLE scores, and medical school class standings/evaluations. At least one reference must be from a faculty member of the applicant’s department of Ob-Gyn.

Interview Info

Qualified applicants will be invited to interview with our program. The interview process is structured to maximize exposure of the candidate to our faculty, the training program, and the current resident complement. Our residents, the faculty and the teaching staff enjoy a close working relationship. We use the interview process to introduce the applicant to our educational philosophy and to identify those applicants that share our vision for graduate medical education. We invite applications only from those candidates who plan to complete their entire training in Hawaii. Virtual interviews in November, December, and January (dates TBA)

FAQs

Why would I want to consider the University of Hawaii OB/GYN Program for my residency training?

  • This training program, located 2500 miles west of its closest neighbor, has as its strength exceptional clinical volume and a collegial health care team. Though part of a major medical school, the program balances academic training with the friendly ambiance of the surrounding cosmopolitan community. While taking advantage of exceptional clinical volume and a dedicated teaching staff, our residents enjoy a close working relationship with their peers and the faculty. The ethnic and cultural diversity of the patient population, combined with the “aloha spirit” and the natural beauty of the islands, makes for an extremely pleasant and rewarding training environment.

How many residents do you take each year and how do you select them?

  • We accept six categorical residents and one preliminary resident each year. Applications are screened for competitive USMLE scores and letters of recommendation, a complimentary Dean’s letter, and solid medical school grades. Interviews are by invitation only and are limited in number. Current residents are actively involved in the interview and selection process to help maintain the cooperative learning environment our program has enjoyed for many years. All applications are judged on their merit with no specific preference given to University of Hawaii graduates or Hawaii residents.

What type of clinical experience can I expect at the University of Hawaii program?

  • Our residents rotate to three institutions that together deliver nearly 10,000 babies a year. Kapi`olani Medical Center for Women & Children, being the tertiary referral center for the state of Hawaii and the pacific basin, has an exceptional mix of complicated and routine obstetric patients. Residents enjoy extensive surgical exposure and can expect to be first assisting on cesarean sections and major gynecology procedures early in their first year. Most first-year residents finish the year having done over 50 cesarean sections as the primary surgeon. The residents typically finish the program having done over 300 major surgical procedures, 450 vaginal deliveries and 200 cesarean sections.
information on drug testing requirements

Residents

Class of 2024 

Asia Ayabe, MD 

Hometown: Honolulu, Hawaii 

Undergraduate School: Pomona College 

Medical School:  University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine 

Yixin Chen, MD 

Hometown: Ellicott City, MD

Undergraduate School: University of Maryland, College Park

Medical School: Penn State College of Medicine

Kaitlynn Ebisutani, MD

Hometown: Honolulu, Hawaii

Undergraduate School: University of Washington

Medical School: University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine

Olivia Manayan, MD MPH  

Hometown: Honolulu, Hawaii

Undergraduate School: University of Southern California

Master of Public Health: King’s College, London

Medical School: University of Queensland-Ochsner Clinical School

Megan Stevenson, MD 

Hometown: Honolulu, Hawaii

Undergraduate School: Washington University in St. Louis

Medical School: University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine

Nancy Siyang Yang, MD 

Hometown: Guangzhou, China/ Rochester, MN

Undergraduate School: Washington University in St. Louis

Medical School: University of Minnesota Medical School – Twin Cities

Class of 2025

Radhika Amin, MD 

Hometown: Atlanta, GA

Undergraduate School: Georgia Institute of Technology

Medical School:  Morehouse School of Medicine 

Brooklyn Cochrane, MD

Hometown: Farmington, New Mexico

Undergraduate School: New Mexico State University

Medical School: University of New Mexico

Selin Kutlu, MD MA

Hometown: Menlo Park, CA

Undergraduate School: Wesleyan University

Masters in Molecular Biology & Biochemistry: Wesleyan University

Medical School: University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine

Lea Lacar, MD

Hometown: Aiea, Hawaii

Undergraduate School: University of Hawaii at Manoa

Medical School: University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine

Avery Olson, MD 

Hometown: Rapid City, SD

Undergraduate School: Colorado State University 

Medical School: University of South Dakota 

Mary Tanner, MD 

Hometown: Baton Rouge, LA

Undergraduate School: Louisiana State University

Medical School: Louisiana State University School of Medicine – New Orleans

Class of 2026

Silvia Bastea, MD

Hometown: Danville, California

Undergraduate School: UCLA

Medical School: UC Davis

Amelia Feinberg-Eddy, MD

Hometown: Boxborough, Massachusetts

Undergraduate School: Pomona College

Medical School: Boston University

Meshelle Hirashima, MD

Hometown: Honolulu, Hawaii

Undergraduate School: Chaminade University of Honolulu

Medical School: Boston University School of Medicine

Shani Ma, MD

Hometown: Honolulu, HI

Undergraduate School: University of California, Davis

Medical School: University of Hawai‘i, John A. Burns School of Medicine

Deepraj Pawar, MD 

Hometown: Eugene, OR

Undergraduate School: Whitman College 

Medical School: Oregon Health and Science University  

Cassie Tarleton, MD 

Hometown: Honolulu, HI

Undergraduate School: Yale University 

Graduate School: Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health 

Medical School: Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons 

Class of 2027

Romina Jo Banayo, MD 

Medical School: University of East/Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center College of Medicine

Eileen Chen, MD 

Medical School: University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine

Jennifer Hayashi, MD

Medical School: Tulane University School of Medicine 

Miranda Lowe, MD 

Medical School: University of California, Davis School of Medicine

Danielle Mathisen, MD 

Medical School: University of Texas Southwestern Medical School

Sarah Murayama, MD  

Medical School: University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine

Shalin Zhang, MD 

Medical School: Georgetown University School of Medicine

Benefits & Salary

summary of salary & benefits

Contact

John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii
Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Women’s Health
1319 Punahou Street, #824
Honolulu, Hawaii 96826

Lisa Kellett
OB-Gyn Residency and Maternal Fetal Medicine Fellowship Program Administrator;
Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women’s Health Conference Coordinator
lkellett@hawaiiresidency.org

Mark Hiraoka, MD, MS
Associate Professor
Associate Chair of Academic Affairs
Residency Program Director
John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii
Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Women’s Health
1319 Punahou Street, #824
Honolulu, Hawaii 96826
hiraokam@hawaii.edu

Ann Chang, MD, MPH
Associate Professor
Associate Residency Program Director
John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii
Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Women’s Health
1319 Punahou Street, #824
Honolulu, Hawaii 96826
annchang@hawaii.edu

Ivica Zalud, MD, PhD
Professor & Kosasa Endowed Chair
John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii
Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Women’s Health
1319 Punahou Street, #824
Honolulu, Hawaii 96826