OBGYN

Tucson OB Notes - N. McKenzie and E. Bass

Misc:

• Schoenhage = “Shern-HAG-a”, use her mschoenhage@me.com email if she’s not replying, or 520-490-9706 in a pinch

• All of the day OBs you will work with are affiliated with TMCO (Tucson Medical Center Obstetrics).  For your day shifts on the labor floor, TMCO will be written on the Status Board next to the patients you’ll be expected to follow with.  There are a number of other obstetrics groups (such as El Rio) that also have hospital privileges but you won’t work with them during the day.

• You don’t need a suit! Scrubs for everything, white coat if you have one, and optional business casual for the orientation

  • There’s a scrub dispensing machine in the break room that requires a badge.  You get one scrub credit that you get back when you return the scrubs to the scrub return machine in the locker room.  This means if your scrubs get dirty, you have to return your scrubs before you can get another set (very annoying)!  If your badge doesn’t work for the scrub machines, you’ll have to call the department that handles laundry to add a credit to your badge (520-324-5553).

• Orientation on Monday (7-8am, 10:30-1:30pm) – use this time to get used to layout and grab Epic Smartphrases

  • On your first day, Monday, you’ll do an Epic orientation, get your badge, then meet an OB for an orientation of the labor floor but no actual work on this day.

• There are UoA students floating around and I even met one from a Guadalajara school, so keep an eye out and ask for tips!

  • You might be with a resident

• Bring a jacket – it’s freezing

• Schedule: 3 weeks total consisting of four 12-hour day shifts (7 am - 7 pm) on the labor floor, four 12-hour night shifts (7 pm - 7 am) on the labor floor, five days of clinic (8 am - 5 pm-ish)

  • Be prepared to stay the full 12 hours.

Night shifts and Differences from days:

• You are seeing all patients in labor rather than just TMCO patients.  

  • The Status Board in the nursing station lists “Hospitalist” next to the patients that you will see at night.  The hospitalist or laborist is an OB who covers the night shift.  You will meet them at the beginning of the night for signout from the day OBs at a call room shown to you on the first day orientation.

• You might still have C-sections added in when labor fails, so check the Status Board so you’re not blindsided

Clinical Tips:

• Don’t be afraid to call the MFM or Hospital call phone if you can’t find your attending

• Use Epic templates under "Manage SmartPhrases" and search by User, such as your attending, resident, or even previous students (ex. Ning McKenzie).

• You can sit at any computer that doesn’t say “reserved,” they play lots of musical chairs.

• Sit down if your resident/physician is sitting and charting, the more uncomfortable you look the more uncomfortable they feel.

• The whiteboard in L&D is helpful for patient status, charge nurse, room nurses, etc.

• Hang out by the nurse’s station, if possible, rather than the resident room so you have a better idea of what’s going on (cervical exams, changes in status).  No one will come and get the med student if something is happening but they’re happy to let you help if you ask!

• Check with the physician before you participate in things with nurses, like cervical exams (best done on epidural and intact membrane patients).

• Write your name on the whiteboard sheet on the back of the OR door.

Money money money:

• Cafeteria points for about $85 during the rotation (and I got a $7.5 voucher on day one), but things are super cheap there!

• This rotation is completely paid for by Mayo.  You get:

  • Up to $75 per day in reimbursement for food (with receipts, no alcohol) starting on the day before the start of the rotation

  • 3 week hotel stay with check-in on the day before the start of the rotation.  If you are spending the second half of the rotation at Tucson, the Mayo admin should have arranged to get you a late check out so that you can take the OBGYN Shelf at the hotel (confirm at check-in). 

    • Make a Marriott Bonvoy account so that you can get free wifi.

    • If you have a high enough credit limit (~$3500) to put the hotel on your credit card and get reimbursed, you get to keep the hotel points.  Otherwise, Mayo will work out a different payment method.

  • Reimbursement for gas and mileage OR a rental car with gas paid for if you cannot bring your car to Tucson (for example, share a car with a significant other).

    • If you need to rent a car, you have to arrange this before the rotation because Mayo prefers to have the rental car directly billed to them, rather than to reimburse you.  Talk to Kristin or whoever is designated for Student Travel questions.

Hotel:

• Microwave, world’s tiniest mini-fridge (mine was broken and all my food went bad…), couch, and desk are all provided.

  • Ask if your room has a microwave at check-in (mine didn’t).  They should have extras if your room doesn’t have one.

  • You get two free bottles of water every day when your room is cleaned by housekeeping.  There’s an ice machine but I never found a water-refilling station.

  • The washing machine and dryer take quarters, which you can get at the front desk for cash.

• Bare-bones fitness center with dumbbells and cardio machines.

• There’s an overpriced restaurant at the hotel that’s open until 9:30 pm

  • Complimentary breakfast (starts at 6:30 am on weekdays) runs late enough for you to get breakfast before going to bed on night shifts or to get breakfast before clinic on your clinic week.

• 5-10 minute walk from OB if you book it, 15 min if you get lost.

  • The hospital parking lot where students are allowed to park during the day is the same distance from the hospital as the hotel parking lot.

  • There’s a shuttle every 15 minutes from the designated student parking lot on the hospital campus that will take you anywhere on the Tucson Medical Center campus.  It will also pick you up and drop you off wherever you want; contact them by calling security and asking for a shuttle pick up (520-324-3000).

  • During night shift, you can park in the lot right across from the L&D unit.

• My car got broken into in the parking lot twice, so take out valuables.

Work hard, Play harder: (ordered vaguely in clusters of similar locations)

• Comedy: Retro Game Show Night

• Dessert: Donut bar

• Games: Cobra Arcade Bar (find me on the Tetris leader board)

• Nightlife: IBT’s Drag show (bring cash)

• Outdoor food court: The Boxyard

• Peaceful botanical garden: Tohono Chul

• “Best” restaurant in Tucson: The Parish (Southern food)

• Urban sunset: La Encantada shopping mall

• Black Crown Coffee Shop: open until 12am for those late nights before L&D Nights

• Urban uphill hike: Tumamoc Hill (basically a baby version of Camelback, took me 1h)

• Great Mexican food that happens to be vegan: Cafe Tumerico

• UofA Libraries: open 1-6pm Sunday to the public

• UofA campus: all the nostalgia of college without the personal trauma

• Gelato: Bella’s Gelato Shoppe

• Summer-only free outdoor symphony: Tucson Pops Orchestra

• Breathtaking sunset/stargazing: Windy Point on Mt. Lemmon

• Cute cash-only Sonoran Dog stand near hotel: El Sinaloense Hot Dog Cart

• Cute cafe: LeBuzz

• Mini Time Machine Museum of Miniatures (admission is ~$12)

• Awesome hike with seasonal waterfalls/pools: Seven Falls

  • Via tram ($, shortest)

  • Via Bear Canyon Trailhead (free, longer)

  • Via Visitor Center ($, longer)

• Looked fun, didn’t get to go:

  • Pima Air and Space Museum

  • Madera Canyon Nature Trail

  • Cookie Cabin on Mt. Lemmon

  • Saguaro National Park

Tucson is a city of gastronomy!  Other restaurant recs:

• Wild Garlic Grill ($$$)

• El Charro Cafe (oldest Mexican restaurant continuously owned by the same family in the US)

• Noodleholics (Asian noodle place)

• Bubbe’s Fine Bagels 

• Monsoon Chocolate (cafe drinks and chocolate desserts)

• Paleteria y Neveria la Michoacana (Mexican desserts)

• Barrio Bread (for award-winning fresh bread, super limited hours and long lines)

• Beyond Bread (sandwiches)

• Feast ($$$)

• Kingfisher (seafood)

• Flora’s Market Run

• Tito and Pep

• BATA (you order multiple small dishes, $$$)

Eau Claire, WI (General, taken from Family Medicine Guide) - Last updated by I. Abdulwadood

Misc:

• Location: Clairemont Campus, 733 W Clairemont Ave, Eau Claire, WI 54701

• Attire: Business casual

Lunch:

• There isn't a cafeteria or coffee shop in the building, so bring food and coffee, and feel free to use the breakroom to refrigerate and store your things. 

• There was almost never enough time to go off campus for lunch, but there are a few shops across the street such as Caribou Coffee, Starbucks, and Chipotle. 

• You do get $15 lunch vouchers, but since we don't have time to go to the main hospital cafeteria, just save them for another time. 

Living:

• Fly into MSP airport, get a rental car, drive to Eau Claire, WI (1 hr 30 min drive)

• Eau Claire has the main grocery stores: Walmart, Target, Hy-vee, and now a Costco!

• Students stay at Haymarket Landing. Pretty nice, modern building, also serves as dorms for University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire students. 

• Park at the North Barstow parking garage (less than 5 min walk away). 

• Near Phoenix park! Great to hangout and get some fresh air. They also have food trucks on the first Friday of every month and live music in the summer. 

• Apartments come with: washer/dryer, full kitchen with utensils and pots, bedsheets, pillow, and towels. 

• No access to the fitness center, you will have to purchase your own membership. 

Work hard, Play harder: 

• DEFINITELY try deep fried cheese curds if you haven't already been introduced to the midwestern delicacy 

• Eau Claire Farmer's Market - literally everyone in town goes to the farmer's market in the summer

  • Highly recommend croissants from The Nostalgic Bean

  • https://www.ecdowntownfarmersmarket.com/ 

• Thai Orchid - unexpectedly great Thai food!

• Olson's Ice Cream Eau Claire - same building as haymarket landing

• Ramone's Ice Cream Parlor - decide for yourself if you're team Olson's or team Ramone's 

• Acoustic Cafe - good sandwiches

• The Nucleus - breakfast/brunch

• Local Coffee Shops: 

  • ECDC - great coffee (though $$) and good study spot, walkable from Haymarket

  • SHIFT Cyclery & Coffee Bar - GREAT coffee and GREAT study spot, walkable from Haymarket

  • Racy D'Lenes Coffee Lounge - good study spot, attached to the Nucleas so you can have a coffee while waiting on brunch, longer walk

  • The Coffee Grounds

  • The Goat Coffee House - same shop that sells coffee in the Luther hospital building

  • Kahvi Coffee House + Cafe - good study spot, a bit of a drive away 

• Eau Claire Public Library - walking distance from Haymarket (and close to Ramone's)

• Lowe's Creek - great for hiking, beware of ticks!

• Restaurants I was recommended, but did not have time to visit: 

  • Mona Lisa's Restaurant 

  • Egg Roll Plus - take out only

  • The Informalist (near ECDC)

  • Mi Mi Cafe

  • Monk's Bar and Grill

  • Madden Ramen - same building as haymarket landing

Eau Claire, WI (OBGYN) - Last updated by Annika Hiredesai June 2025

Unlike your Arizona counterparts, you will often rotate between clinic, surgery and L&D all within the same week. You will still attend weekly tri-site didactics, usually on Wednesday afternoons.

Please be sure to let the clinic staff or your preceptor for the day know that you will be at didactics in the afternoon.

SET clinic is set up with 2-3 preceptors and 1-3 students staffing the clinic for the day. The preceptors can be attendings or midwives and the students may be fellow medical students, PA students or family medicine residents. You will decide which patients you will see by deciding amongst the students and signing up for the patient in Epic under the appointment notes. The clinic staff then know to give you the door notes when the patient arrives and you will complete the initial history and portions of the physical that do not require a chaperone. You then staff with your attending and complete the sensitive portions of the physical exam together. You are typically responsible for writing notes - be sure to ask the attending or your fellow students for good templates (recommend those saved by Maya Davis, Blenda Yun, Tara Sabin or Annika Hiredesai). The expectations state that you are expected to see 3-5 patients per half day but this depends a lot on the complexity of your visits and how many other learners are in clinic that day. Clinic days are usually a mix of routine OB/postpartum care and GYN consults/ED followups/postops. You will have a lot of say in what patients you see based on your interests and work closely with the preceptors! You will get lots of experience with routine OB and pelvic and speculum exams and may even have the opportunity to place lUDs.

On OR days, be sure to message the attending the day prior asking where/when they would prefer to meet you. I have found that they are most responsive to Epic secure chats, but don't be discouraged if they don't respond, just find out which OR they are at that morning and wait for them there. You can find scrubs in several locations, including the locker rooms on the LL of Wishart building, the ambulatory surgical center on the first floor off the coffeeshop and on the second floor in the L&D unit.

You will see a mix of robotic-assisted and laparoscopic cases, D&E/D&Cs, vaginal hysterectomy, and C-sections depending on the day and the attending. Procedure Ready (formerly Pimped OBGYN) is an excellent podcast resource that covers all the high yield anatomy you may be asked about during hysterectomy and C-section. Also recommend looking up cases on Youtube for excellent views of anatomy. You will get to do as much as you are comfortable with in the OR! You close almost every case, many of which are laparoscopic incisions - most commonly used stitches are running subcuticular, deep buried and simple interrupted. I have also used figure of 8s which is acceptable for port sites depending on the type of suture. Other tasks you may assist with: uterine manipulation, laparoscopic camera navigation, ultrasound navigation for D&E/D&C, IUD placement, and Foley catheter insertion. You are not expected to do any note writing and very few patients stay in the hospital so there are no rounds. OR days vary in hours, typically cases start at 7:30-8 am and can end as early as noon or as late as 6 pm depending on the day.

L&D shifts are typically day shifts, sometimes on weekends, lasting from 7 am to 4 pm. You may prechart on the unit prior to coming in but you will get a good signout from the night team at 7:45 am huddle and then this is followed by newborn huddle. Again Procedure Ready has excellent episodes on what to expect before your first L&D shift. Sometimes things are super busy and other times, the patients on the unit are progressing slowly. You will be working with the midwife or on-call OB provider primarily. You can expect to get pretty involved, the midwives will tell you their goal is for your to do as many deliveries as possible. You will also have the opportunity to assist for C-sections and perform perineal laceration repairs if it is a low degree tear. If you are not actively assisting with a delivery, you are often periodically doing cervical exam checks with the preceptor and writing progress notes, admitting patients or rounding on the postpartum unit. If you are interested, you can ask the family medicine or peds providers if you may observe a circumcision.

Here is what a typical schedule may look like: