We have a vigorous didactic schedule that includes a comprehensive simulation curriculum and research requirements. Residents can practice their obstetrical and laparoscopic skills in “The Women of Steel” Simulation Center housed in the OBGYN department. Our robotics curriculum and Surgical Innovation and Training Laboratory prepare each resident for robotic surgery certification. Finally, under the leadership of our research faculty, each resident in our program completes at least one research project. For many years, the UIC OBGYN graduates have presented in peer-reviewed regional, national, and international forums. We are committed to continuing this ascending pathway. 

The residency program’s goal is to prepare our graduates for board certification in general obstetrics and gynecology. However, over half of our graduates will attend fellowship training, including women’s global health, complex family planning, maternal-fetal medicine, FPMRS, and gynecology oncology. Most of our graduates have continued with academic careers in academic centers that serve underserved and vulnerable communities. Those who choose to pursue a career in private practice are well prepared to enter right into a busy practice. 

The residency program supports resident service with involvement in American College of Obstetrics Gynecology (ACOG) and other subspecialty organizations with funding to attend national meetings. At the end of the PGY 1-year residents can participate in the Women’s Global Health Advocates Track. This track is a supplemental curriculum created in partnership with the UIC Center for Global Health. The purpose is to enhance the residents’ ability to address health disparities wherever they exist and to prepare residents for a career as OBGYNs with global health expertise. 

We pride ourselves on recruiting residents and faculty who are energetic, innovative, and diverse. The candidates who thrive at UIC share our values of diversity, adaptability, excellence, and collaboration. These values permeate our clinical care, research, education, quality improvement, and advocacy work. As a department and institution, we are consciously working to address disparities of care in our larger community and the bias and discrimination pervasive throughout academic medicine.  

As program director, I am dedicated to each resident’s professional and personal growth and development. The resident role can be overwhelming and scary at one moment and exhilarating and life-changing the next moment. I strive to provide a nurturing and challenging learning environment at UIC. The secret to our success is our phenomenal group of residents and faculty, making it a positive and stimulating learning environment.  

I appreciate your interest in Obstetrics & Gynecology at the University of Illinois! 

Tamika Alexander, MD, FACOG
Residency Program Director
Associate Professor of Clinical OB/GYN