Obstetrics & Gynecology Residency

How to Apply

Resident Selection

1. All first-year appointments are made through ResidencyCAS. 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 ResidencyCAS. The selection committee invites applicants to interview once their application has received a number/favorable review. A limited number of interview slots are available. Therefore, applicants are encouraged to transmit their 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.