St. Elizabeth offering surgical fellowship program
Aug. 26, 2003

MARY CHRISTOPHER
Observer-Dispatch

UTICA -- St. Elizabeth Medical Center is one of 11 sites in the country offering an annual fellowship program to give a trained physician a more comprehensive surgical experience.

Dr. Shilpa Patel will be the first fellow in the Surgical GYN Fellowship program, approved by the American Association of Gynecological Laparoscopists and the Society of Reproductive Sciences.

The one-year program will be led by Dr. Prabhat Ahluwalia, an obstetrician and gynecologist in Utica and Little Falls, who is a practitioner and supporter of advanced laparoscopic surgery.

One gynecologist a year will work with Ahluwalia, other local physicians and Albany Medical College professors, who will act as fellowship instructors.

"This will recognize (a physician) as an expert in gynecological surgeries," Ahluwalia said.

Laparoscopic surgery is different from traditional surgery because incisions are much smaller, but large enough to admit the passage of precision-crafted surgical instruments, a laser, fiber-optic light and tiny, high-resolution video camera.

Patel's responsibilities will include assisting in surgery, supervising OB/GYN residents from Albany Medical Center, spending half days working in a gynecological clinic, participating in office consults and preparing research to be submitted for publication.

She already completed a four-year residency in obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Maryland.

The program started July 1, and Patel already has learned useful skills from Ahluwalia, Patel said.

"Everything is very well organized," she said. "I have already gotten great experience so far."