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Division of Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility
The Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility must be expected to strive for and achieve excellence in patient care, teaching and research, as these relate to the subspecialty. Historically, it has been a leader nationally and internationally.
The Division’s Goals are:
- To provide patient care that is recognized as being of exemplary standard; this includes having clinical services in the Centre for Reproductive Health and its associated programs that provide leading-edge results.
- To provide excellent educational programs that incorporate undergraduate, postgraduate, fellowship and community teaching. The Division’s Fellowship Program (RCPSC Residency) must continue to be a sought-after training position.
- To undertake research activities in the subspecialty which are innovative and collaborative.
- To have the Division recognized nationally as a leader in each of these activities.
In order to achieve these goals, the Division must:
- Ensure the commitment of all members of the Division to strive for excellence in all of their activities.
- Provide the physical resources to allow patient care activities to take place in a comfortable and physically appealing environment.
- Provide the financial resources to allow Division members to carry out educational and research activities without compromising their financial independence.
- Foster an atmosphere of aggressive scientific inquiry and of positive achievement.
- Have each Division member develop personal objectives, and undertake regular reviews (with the Division Head) of progress towards these objectives.
Location
Since December 2006, the Division’s clinical activities have been located in a sequestered floor (D6) of the Women’s Health Centre building at BC’s Women’s Hospital. The academic offices of the Division are housed in the D4 wing of the same building. The Division’s clinical activities are undergoing active harmonisation with those of the Women’s Hospital, and by September 2010 all clinical activities will be undertaken under the Women’s Hospital umbrella.
Program Activities
- The Royal College Fellowship Program in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility.
The Division’s Fellowship Program is a two-year structured program accredited by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. The Director from 2004 to January 2010 was Dr. Sheila Pride, with Dr. Anthony Cheung assuming this position in May 2010.
The Fellow for 2008-2010 has been Dr. Manda Ghahremani, and Dr Saleh Al-Asiri is the 2009-2011 Fellow.
- The UBC Centre for Reproductive Health
The UBC Centre for Reproductive Health is the home of clinical activities for the Division, including the assisted reproduction programs. The Centre’s protocols and procedures have been granted full accreditation; these activities will continue unchanged as the Centre transitions to provide ambulatory services under the auspices of the Women’s Hospital.
The Hope Fertility Fund, established in 2003 to provide financial assistance for couples unable to afford treatment in the In Vitro Fertilization Program, continues to do so through a liaison with the Women’s Hospital Foundation. With sponsorships from industry, community organizations and individuals, the Fund has sponsored treatment for over 60 couples.
The Pelvic Pain Program, established by Drs. Catherine Allaire and Christina Williams within the Centre for Reproductive Health, provides a tertiary level service approach to the management of chronic pelvic pain. The Program has become a multidisciplinary activity, and in 2010 will begin to offer a Fellowship program to expand the tertiary level services within the province and beyond.
- The UBC In Vitro Fertilization Program
In 2008, the UBC In Vitro Fertilization Program completed 25 years of continuous service. Since its inception the activities of the IVF Program have streamlined and expanded, so that the IVF Program now encompasses intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), the donor oocyte program, and, on request, preimplantation genetic diagnosis. Functional relationships with IVF programs in Vancouver, Calgary, Bellingham and Seattle have been established and maintained, to allow the widest possible range of services to patients while ensuring the highest possible level of safety.
- The UBC Ovulation Induction Program
The Ovulation Induction Program has continued to provide treatment in parallel with the IVF Program.
- The UBC Andrology Laboratory
The Andrology Laboratory, under the direction of Dr. Gregory Lee, offers semen analysis and detailed sperm function testing as clinical services, in addition to sperm cryopreservation services for patients and physicians.
- The UBC Gyn-Endocrine Laboratory
The Gyn-Endocrine Laboratory, established by Dr. Basil Ho Yuen and currently directed by Dr Renison Chong Kit, provides rapid assays seven days per week in support of the IVF and Ovulation Induction Programs. The laboratory also offers a range of hormone assays as a provincial service for the investigation of endocrine disorders.
Educational Activities
In addition to the Fellowship Program, the Division provides educational activities for residents, undergraduates, and visiting trainees. Residents in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology spend three-month rotations within the Division, making regular presentations at the weekly Division Rounds, attending clinics and participating where possible in research activities.
Division members are actively involved in the UBC Undergraduate curriculum, especially in Phase 2 (preclinical) problem-based learning and in Phase 4 (clerkship) activities in ambulatory and hospital-based care. In addition, UBC undergraduates regularly undertake elective rotations and summer studentships with Division members.
Divisional activities in Continuing Medical Education have been centred on the Division’s presentations at the D.A. Boyes Society Annual Meeting. Individual members have also participated in CME activities associated with the Canadian Fertility and Andrology Society, the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada and with the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Dr. Anthony Cheung chairs the Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Committee of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada.
Research and Publications
The Division’s research activity encompasses basic and clinical research, in addition to collaborative multidisciplinary activities. Five members of the Division currently hold funding for research projects, and Division members have consistently generated publications in peer-reviewed and other journals. Individual members have presented original work at meetings of the Canadian Fertility and Andrology Society, the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada and the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, and have participated significantly in the development and publication of Clinical Practice Guidelines under the auspices of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada.
Dr. Rowe continues in the position of Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Canada. The Editorial Office of JOGC is located within the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility.
Future Directions
The transfer of the Division’s activities to the Women’s Hospital site has allowed for some rationalization of services, and has brought Division members closer to colleagues both in the Research Centre and the numerous Women’s Hospital programs. Integration of services and databases will improve the efficiency and safety of clinical services provided and will enhance research opportunities. Already the proximity of research foundations on the Women’s Hospital site has led to plans for translational research activities, particularly in genetic and molecular aspects of reproduction that will expand the mandate of both existing Women’s Hospital and Research Centre research and the academic productivity of the Division. The transfer of responsibility for clinical activities from the Division to the Women’s Hospital will allow a more measured focus on the Division’s responsibilities for scholarly activities.
Timothy Rowe, MB, BS, FRCSC
Head, Division of Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility
