OB/GYN Residency Program

Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility

Our three-year program provides broad clinical training in reproductive medicine, offers research exposure in reproductive biology and helps develop teaching skills.

Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility

Our three-year program provides broad clinical training in reproductive medicine, offers research exposure in reproductive biology and helps develop teaching skills.

Two words broadly define the values of the REI fellowship program at Brown/Women & Infants Hospital: innovation and care. Reproductive endocrinology and infertility is an exciting, quickly evolving field that gives us the privilege of caring for patients at some of the most vulnerable times of their lives. At Brown, we encourage big thinking and scientific innovation that will ultimately benefit the people in our care. Our patients are at the center of our program.

The REI fellowship program at Brown/Women & Infants Hospital provides a strong academic foundation within a collegial and supportive environment. Fellows leave our program able to thrive in private practice or in academic medicine. The REI fellowship program has an outstanding reputation and is part of a Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology that is consistently ranked in the top 25 by US News and World Report.

Who We Are

Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island is the primary teaching site for the fellowship and the home for the Brown University Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency program. There are seven core faculty members and an extensive network of community faculty and subspecialists that provide a referral base and support to our fellowship.

Our faculty are doing cutting-edge work in fertility preservation, chemotherapy, and care for LGBTQ+ patients. Fellows are responsible for managing complex infertility with progressive responsibility as their clinical experience builds.

Patient-Centered Care

“We get to treat and manage patients from all walks of life, different races, religions, gender identities… so we treat everyone equally from stockbrokers all the way up to plumbers.” —VIRGINIA A. MENSAH, MD, Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Variety of Clinical Experiences

“I find it very rewarding to offer our patients fertility preservation. We were the first state to mandate fertility preservation coverage, and I am proud of that.” —MAY-TAL SAUERBRUN-CUTLER, MD, Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Faculty Support

“We have faculty dedicated to providing the best education for our trainees.” —VICTORIA SNEGOVSKIKH, MD, Associate Fellowship Director

Career Development

“My time at Brown has allowed me to grow as a physician, surgeon, scientist and as a teacher. I have had the opportunity to collaborate with so many incredible minds!” —Meghan Ozcan, MD, third-year fellow

Team Environment

“Everyone works together as a family with respect and compassion. Working as an embryologist I am so honored to be the first babysitter for these embryos.” —YIMIN SHU, MD, PHD IVF Lab Director

Fellows also have the opportunity to collaborate with faculty in related areas of obstetrics and gynecology:

Reproductive Urology: Brown’s Chief of Urology Mark Sigman, MD, is a senior thought leader in the treatment of male infertility.
Minimally Invasive Gynecological Surgery: Women & Infants has an extensive MIGS program led by Dr. Christine Foley.
Medical Endocrinology: Led by Dr. Ken Chen, the division cares for patients with pituitary, adrenal, and metabolic disorders.
Fertility Preservation: In 2017, Rhode Island became the first state to pass a law mandating insurance coverage for fertility preservation prior to treatment that could directly or indirectly cause infertility.

Current Fellows

Our fellows have a strong foundation of clinical knowledge, interest in caring for a diverse patient population, and a passion for furthering the field of reproductive endocrinology and infertility.

Caroline Violette, MD

Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Fellow

Dr. Violette is currently a first-year fellow in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Emory University School of Medicine and completed her Obstetrics and Gynecology residency at the University of Southern California. Her research interests include oncofertility and addressing healthcare disparities related to access to fertility treatment in the United States.
Luce Kassi, MD

Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Fellow

Dr. Kassi is currently a second-year fellow in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility. She earned her medical degree at the University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix and completed her Obstetrics and Gynecology residency at the combined McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University and John H. Stroger Hospital of Cook County in Chicago, IL. Her research interests include reproductive surgery and the impact that infertility has on health disparities and global health.
Katherine Baker, MD

Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Fellow

Dr. Baker is currently a third-year fellow in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility. She earned her medical degree at the University of Florida College of Medicine and completed her residency at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. Her research interests include fertility preservation and environmental impacts on fertility.

Where We Work

Fellows rotate through labs and clinical spaces, gaining research exposure in reproductive biology and cultivating teaching skills.

Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island

28,000

ob/gyn emergency room visits

(per year)

5,000

gynecologic surgeries

(per year)

8,000

newborn deliveries

(per year)

Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island is one of the nation’s leading specialty hospitals for women and newborns. The major teaching affiliate of The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University for activities unique to women and newborns, Women & Infants is the 9th largest stand-alone obstetrical service in the country.

The hospital also provides a full complement of services, from primary care to high-risk pregnancy, women's oncology, fertility services, gynecological surgery and more. It is southeastern New England's premier regional center for the care of women and infants.

About the Program

Graduate Staff Level	Salary (Academic Year 2023-2024)
PGY 5	$81,173*
PGY 6	$83,535*
PGY 7	$88,090*

*Plus stipend for conferences, memberships, and educational materials.

Research/didactic component – 12-18 months
Clinical REI component – 18-24 months

University of Florida (MIGS focus)
LGBTQ+ health
Chaim Sheba Medical Center at Tel HaShomer (ovarian tissue cryopreservation)

Medical Insurance (carrier: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Rhode Island)
Dental Insurance (carrier: Delta Dental of RI)
Vision Insurance (carrier: VSP) – 100% employee funded
Flexible Spending Accounts (healthcare and dependent care) (carrier: payflex)
Life Insurance – 1 to 5 times base salary (carrier: sunlife)
Long Term Disability (carrier: Sunlife)
Long Term Care - Self and/or Spouse (carrier: UNUM Provident) – 100% employee funded
Dependent Life Insurance (carrier: Sunlife) – 100% employee funded

20 vacation days per academic year
12 sick days per academic year (3 days can be used as scheduled personal days)
10 national holidays per academic year
2 days can be used as ‘float’ holidays per academic year if fellow worked on the national holiday

Available, no fee

Applications to the REI Fellowship Program must be submitted through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS).

Our application process requires a Letter of Recommendation from your Program Director and/or Chair of the Department, as well as two to three additional Letters of Recommendation.

Please contact Michele Fontaine, REI Academic Coordinator, via email with any questions regarding deadlines, eligibility criteria and application requirements.

How to Apply

The REI Fellowship Program is a member of the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) and complies with and follows the NRMP guidelines. Applicants must register with the NRMP.

The Brown Difference

Advancing the field through academic excellence

Hear directly from our faculty and fellows how Brown's focus on deep collaboration and self-directed learning propel clinical, research and teaching pursuits.

Alexis Gadson, MD

Jennifer Eaton, MD

Meghan Ozcan, MD

Carol Wheeler, MD

Thesis Projects of Program Alumni

Building community through care and innovation

Besides sharing in the collegial community on offer at Brown and Women & Infants Hospital, many fellows enjoy giving back to the local community by donating their time. Our fellows can choose to participate in the care of uninsured and underinsured patients at the Rhode Island Free Clinic and Clinica Esperanza.

faculty collaboration — The first-year fellow participates in clinics, assisted reproduction, surgery, and IVF laboratory rotation. The fellow is responsible for collaborating with the teaching faculty to make decisions on patients undergoing controlled ovarian hyperstimulation and IVF stimulations. Fellows also receive lectures, consultations, and exposure to pediatric endocrinology and male reproductive urology.

man at microscope — Fellows are involved in the care of patients with pituitary, adrenal, and metabolic disorders. Fellows also participate in the care of diabetic patients. In addition to patients seen during those clinical sessions, patients are also co-managed while seen in the Reproductive Medicine office with the fellow directly involved in coordinating their care.

Living & Working in Providence

With the affordability of a smaller city and the resources of nearby Boston and New York City, Providence offers a combination of classic New England beauty, immersive arts culture, and the excitement of a city packed with colleges and universities. Rhode Island’s capital city has earned a reputation as a go-to spot for "foodies" due to a wealth of restaurants ranging from fine dining to eclectic eateries. If the great outdoors is more your scene, the Ocean State offers 400 miles of coastline and is just hours away from top ski destinations.