UNC Health launches nation’s first rural OB-GYN fellowship
The new UNC School of Medicine program addresses urgent need to improve maternal health.
UNC Health is the first healthcare institution in the nation to launch an obstetrics and gynecology fellowship dedicated to rural women’s health. The new UNC School of Medicine program’s intent is not only to train physicians to provide high-quality care in rural settings but also to make it easier for women who live in North Carolina’s “maternity care deserts” to access the medical care they desperately need.
“Early and regular prenatal care is critical for reducing the risks of pregnancy and birth complications,” explains Dr. Kavita Arora, director of the UNC Rural Obstetrics and Gynecology Fellowship. “More than half of the women in rural North Carolina live more than 30 minutes away from a birthing hospital. That’s more than twice the distance compared to urban areas in the state. Our new OB-GYN fellowship is a big step in the right direction to close that gap.”
The UNC Rural OB-GYN Fellowship is a two-year program that will operate at two rural health care sites, UNC Health Rockingham and UNC Health Lenoir. UNC Health Rockingham in Eden, North Carolina, serves Caswell, Guilford, Henry, Pittsylvania and Rockingham counties. UNC Health Lenoir in Kinston, North Carolina, serves Greene, Jones and Lenoir counties. The fellowship will follow a 50% clinical and 50% nonclinical academic structure.
“From office-based prenatal care to labor and delivery to gynecologic surgery, our medical fellows will provide hands-on care with patients as well as work on career development goals like quality training, healthcare finances, executive healthcare leadership development and research,” says Dr. Sachin Gupta, chief medical officer for UNC Physicians Network. “They can also tap into the unparalleled resources offered within the UNC Health infrastructure across the state.”
The goal of this program is to ensure that fellowship graduates are not only able to provide clinical care in a rural health setting but also thrive as future leaders in rural health. The unique fellowship structure allows for the personalized tailoring of the nonclinical time to an individual’s professional development goals.
The UNC School of Medicine is accepting applications for the new fellowship through March 31, 2026. Interviews and selection will occur on a rolling basis.
