Fellowship Program Overview

Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility

Hugh Taylor, MD, Fellowship Director

Our Fellowship program offers an interdisciplinary clinical and research training in reproductive endocrinology and infertility. The program faculty has the expertise, facilities and patient population to prepare worthy candidates for board certification by the ABOG Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility and for professional careers in academic institutions.

The fellowship is currently of three years duration. The first year fellow is primarily involved in patient care, limited to clinical reproductive endocrinology and infertility service (in vitro fertilization will be excluded). During this time the fellow sees patients with faculty members of the Division and operate with the faculty. He/she will also learn the basic principles of clinical research and initiate specific projects. It is expected that the fellow will have direct experience in the interpretation of all imaging procedures and histological material available from surgical specimens. The fellow has a major role in all decisions affecting patient management and is part of a program construct that allows for continuity of patient care. At the end of this year the fellow is expected to be fully capable of initiating and performing all appropriate diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, with the exception of in vitro fertilization. Throughout the fellowship training, the fellow is exposed to pediatric and medical endocrinology by attending weekly conferences held by these divisions and by discussing cases with their consulting faculty. During this year, the fellow gives regular seminars to medical students, residents, other department members, and affiliated hospital staffs in topics related to reproductive endocrinology. The performance of the fellow is evaluated through periodic formal appraisals by all participating faculty.

The second year of fellowship training is designed to develop experiences in research, primarily laboratory research. In order to develop an appreciation of the scope and limitations of laboratory techniques, the fellow becomes familiar with all relevant laboratory procedures in reproductive endocrinology, including immunoassays, tissue culture, receptor assays, DNA-RNA analysis, and gene analysis. Statistical analysis and quality control is an integral part of the curriculum. This rotation allows interaction with other scientists, and improves the fellow’s understanding of the latest scientific techniques. Each fellow chooses a specific area of laboratory research that will be the basis of a published thesis. In addition, clinical research projects are initiated and continued during this year. Finally, although the fellow has little exposure to patient care, he/she is expected to participate in patient care review conferences. The fellow participates as in the first year, in regular teaching seminars. The performance of the fellow is evaluated through periodic formal appraisals by all participating faculty.

The third year fellow is involved clinically in the in vitro fertilization program. During this time the fellow learns and participates in all aspects of in vitro fertilization, from patient evaluation and management to laboratory techniques, including micromanipulation. He/she will also be exposed to medical and pediatric endocrinology patient care by attending weekly conferences held by these divisions and by discussing cases with their consulting faculty. The other large block of time is spent continuing both laboratory and clinical research projects. All fellows are expected to complete and submit their thesis work by the conclusion of this year of training. As in previous years, fellows participate in teaching conferences and are evaluated through periodic formal review by all participating faculty.

Role of Faculty In The Fellowship Training Process

Hugh Taylor, MD is the Chief of the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility and the Director of the Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Fellowship Program. His specific role in the fellowship training process is to oversee that fellows fulfill the educational objectives outlined in the Guide to Learning in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, to teach endoscopic surgery, and also to provide a research environment for the study of implantation biology. He is responsible for organizing the educational lectures and meetings, and assuring that fellows are exposed to an adequate number of specialized surgical cases. He is also the director of the Menopause Center.

Aydin Arici, MD is the Director of the Recurrent Pregnancy Loss Program. He also has special interests in developmental biology and implantation. He has a large clinical practice involving infertility and endoscopic surgery.

Pasquale Patrizio, MD, MBe is the Director of the Yale Fertility Center. His special interests are male infertility and assisted reproductive technologies. His specific role in the fellowship training process is to teach fellows clinical aspects of assisted reproductive technologies and male infertility.

Denny Sakkas, PhD is the Director of the Assisted Reproductive Technologies Laboratory. He is responsible for the day-to-day organization and delivery of embryology services at the Yale Center for Reproductive Medicine. He is responsible for the laboratory training of fellows in assisted reproductive techniques.

Emre Seli, MD is the Director of the Donor Egg and Gestational Surrogacy Program. He also has a special interest in reproductive options for women with cancer. His specific role in the fellowship training process is to teach fellows medical and surgical treatment of infertility and reproductive endocrinology.

Gabor Huszar, MD is the Director of Andrology Services and runs a large sperm testing and banking facility. His specific role in the fellowship training is to teach andrology and sperm physiology and provide a research environment for sperm biology.

Gil Mor, MD, PhD has special interests in immune acceptance of pregnancy and endocrine-immune interactions. He provides a research environment for reproductive immunology.

Harold Behrman, PhD has special interest in ovarian physiology and oxidants-antioxidants. He provides a research environment for ovarian physiology.

Richard Hochberg, PhD has special interests in estrogen esters and provides a research environment for steroid biochemistry.

Dorothy Greenfeld, LCSW has special interest in psychologic aspects of infertility and reproduction. Her specific role in the fellowship training is to provide teaching in psychological aspects of infertility treatment.

Download Fellowship Application.