Fellowship in Complex Family Planning Develop exceptional clinical, research and advocacy skills in complex family planning through the UCI Fellowship in Complex Family Planning. Home Education Department Programs OBGYN: Education & Training > Fellowship In Complex Family Planning Program Overview Complex family planning offers specialized care for individuals with health conditions who want to make more informed choices about their reproductive health. Our diverse faculty provides comprehensive training in a supportive environment, preparing future leaders in the reproductive justice movement. UCI is a designated Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI), mirroring the rich demographics of California. Our program boasts top-ranked faculty and offers extensive research opportunities, fostering collaboration across disciplines. About the Division The UCI Division of Complex Family Planning (CFP), founded by Tabetha Harken, MD, MPH, in 2009, has three subspecialty-boarded faculty members, a subspecialty-boarded volunteer clinical faculty member who is the medical director of Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties (PPOSBC), and a PhD vice chair of research for the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. UCI maintains close clinical and training relationships with PPOSBC, Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest (PPSW) and Family Planning Associates (FPA). The division is known for its clinical research, offering fellows many opportunities to get involved in cutting-edge research, much of which is completed through multidisciplinary collaborative projects. Finally, our UCI CFP faculty members have received more teaching awards than any other OB-GYN division at UCI. We are excited to welcome CFP fellows who want to obtain excellent research skills, hone phenomenal clinical acumen, do expansive advocacy work and be leaders in the reproductive justice movement. Our Fellowship Trainees Per Year 1 Fellowship Length 2 Years CFP Fellows Entry Level PGY5 Explore salary and benefits Clinical Curriculum The UCI Fellowship in Complex Family Planning offers exceptional clinical training across diverse settings, ensuring fellows graduate with the skills and confidence to manage complex family planning cases. This comprehensive approach combines: A Wide Range of Clinical Settings Partnerships between the UCI Medical Center, the UCI Obstetrics and Gynecology clinics and our local Planned Parenthoods expose fellows to diverse patient populations and practice environments. High-volume Procedures and Complex Cases Fellows gain a strong foundation through routine procedures while developing expertise in handling challenging situations. Abortion Training UCI is an ideal location to train in complex family planning because in November 2022, California voters enshrined in the state constitution the right to abortion and the right to accept or refuse contraception. State Medicaid funds cover abortion, private insurers are required to cover abortion and the state protects providers from investigations by other states. Our program offers comprehensive abortion training in various settings. This allows fellows to: Gain extensive experience: Fellows participate in a wide range of abortion procedures. Practice shared decision-making: We emphasize collaboration with patients to determine the most appropriate abortion option for their individual needs. As the only hospital-based abortion provider in Orange and San Bernardino Counties, we receive complex cases from a sizable geographic area. This allows fellows to gain unparalleled experience in: Diagnosing and managing placenta accreta All Abortion Techniques: Fellows gain expertise in the provision of medication abortion, induction terminations on labor and delivery, and no touch, tele-mab. Contraception & Permanent Sterilization We have a complex contraception clinic that receives referrals from multiple specialties. We provide all forms of contraception, and the fellow will be trained in the management of complex IUD and implant, insertions, and removals. With the establishment of Family PACT, which provides comprehensive family planning services to eligible California residents, the fellow will regularly perform surgical salpingectomies. The fellow will also have the opportunity to work with experienced faculty when they provide vasectomies in our Federally Qualified Health Center. Ectopic Pregnancies With the close affiliation between Planned Parenthood and UCI, we have a large Pregnancy of Unknown Location (PUL) service. Management of this service will provide the fellow with excellent training in the diagnosis and management of PULs, miscarriages and ectopic pregnancies. Finally, UCI is a referral center for cesarean scar ectopic pregnancies (CSEPs) as well as cervical and interstitial pregnancies. Through collaboration with colleagues specializing in minimally invasive gynecology, radiology, interventional radiology, gynecologic oncology and maternal fetal medicine, the fellow will master diagnosis, management and coordination of these high-risk conditions. Ultrasound The fellow will receive extensive training in ultrasound and become skilled in ultrasound guidance during procedures, evaluation of placenta accreta, deep implants and diagnosis of ectopic pregnancies. Call Schedule Fellows will take Back-Up GYN call from home, answering patients' questions and occasionally coming into the hospital for GYN surgeries. There is no mandatory in-house call. Fellows can choose to take paid in-house call, covering labor and delivery, gynecology and the emergency room as a moonlighting opportunity. How to Apply Applications for the Complex Family Planning Fellowship are only accepted online. Interested physicians are encouraged to apply for fellowship positions through the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) ERAS Program website. All the following required documents must be received through ERAS to be considered for an interview: A completed application Medical school transcript MSPE At least three letters of recommendation Personal statement Photo USMLE scores An interview will be necessary for consideration. Do not send official transcripts, CREOG scores or any other additional documents via email. Interview Schedule Virtual interviews for the position starting on August 1, 2025, are scheduled as follows: Tuesday, August 20, 2024, in the morning Monday, August 26, 2024, in the afternoon Our program will adhere to the common program dates set forth by the Society for Family Planning. Please visit the SFP Website for more details. Faculty Tabetha R. Harken, MD, MPH — Program Director Tabetha Harken graduated from Georgetown University with a bachelor of science. She completed her master’s in public health at George Washington University. She then completed her medical school and residency in OB-GYN at the University of Colorado. Following this, she completed her fellowship in family planning at the University of California, San Francisco. While at UCSF, she completed the Advanced Training in Clinical Research (ATCR) course. She was recruited to UCI to expand family planning services in Orange County and has since founded the Division of Complex Family Planning, the UCI Ryan Residency Program and the UCI Women’s Options Center. While at UCI, she has nurtured robust training and clinical relationships with the local Planned Parenthood affiliates and nearby private hospitals. She is ABOG certified in OB-GYN and CFP. Research Interests: Creation of the University of California Abortion Registry with UCI, UCLA, UCSD, UCSF, and UC Davis Cesarean scar ectopic pregnancies (CSEP) Increasing nurse involvement in abortion and perinatal loss care Rachel Perry, MD, MPH — Associate Program Director Rachel Perry attended the University of Rochester Medical School and then completed her OB-GYN residency, master’s in public health, and Family Planning Fellowship at the University of Illinois-Chicago. Immediately following fellowship, she joined the UCI Division of Family Planning, where she has remained. Dr. Perry is the medical director of our Women’s Options Center at UCI, and a co-chair of our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. She is ABOG certified in OB-GYN and CFP. Research Interests: Contraception access for individuals with substance use disorder Reproductive healthcare for sexual assault survivors The role of mobile technology in improving reproductive health Jasmine Patel, MD, MSc Jasmine Patel attended SUNY Downstate College of Medicine, followed by an OB-GYN residency at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, and a Family Planning Fellowship at the University of Southern California. She is the co-director of SB 24 Medication Abortion Services at the UCI Student Health Center (SHC) and site director for the Family Planning, Access, Care and Treatment (Family PACT) program, where she is responsible for overseeing the family planning services at UCI Health and California Refugee Reproductive Health Network (ReproNet). She is ABOG certified in OB-GYN and CFP, and is a ReproNet member. Research Interests: Male contraception including vasectomy and withdrawal Contraceptive-induced amenorrhea Medical Education Janet Jacobson, MD, MS Janet Jacobson graduated from the University of Southern California with degrees in chemistry (BS) and biology (BA). From there, she entered the U.S. Navy and served 11 years as a pilot and division officer. She left the Navy to attend medical school at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, followed by residency in obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Colorado. She completed her fellowship in family planning at the University of Utah. She is ABOG certified in OB-GYN and CFP. In 2013, Jacobson started as a staff physician at Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties, where she became the medical director and senior VP of clinical services in 2019. She also holds a volunteer clinical faculty position at UCI. Since 2014, she has also participated in advocacy work in California and now serves on the California Medical Association Board of Trustees and as a delegate in the American Medical Association House of Delegates. Research Interests: Procedural abortion Medication abortion Recurrent vaginitis Response of vaginal microbiome to contraceptive methods Advocacy and organized medicine Heike Thiel de Bocanegra, PhD Heike Thiel de Bocanegra, the director of research for the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, is a research scientist who previously worked on the California-wide Family PACT evaluation program and has extensive experience in sexual and reproductive health research. Research Interests: Reproductive health Postpartum contraception Health disparities Immigrant health Refugee health Intimate partner violence Research and Additional Educational Opportunities The UCI School of Medicine is a national leader in research, and fellows will have access to UCI’s vast research infrastructure. The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology provides resources including biostatistician support, administrative support, information technology support and research space for our fellows. Additionally, the Division of Family Planning consists of faculty members with extensive training and experience in conducting national and international research in reproductive health. The division has significant resources for research implementation and a faculty team that is invested in supporting the fellows’ research from study conception through dissemination. Division faculty are enthusiastic research mentors and look forward to mentoring new fellows. According to the fellows’ area of interest, they will be trained in the use of qualitative (Atlas.ti) and quantitative (REDCap) analysis software. Fellows will participate in quarterly research meetings and receive ongoing feedback from research mentors. Our fellows will be enrolled in the UCI Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology combined fellows lecture series with the fellows from the gynecologic oncology, maternal fetal medicine, urogynecology and OB-GYN hospitalist programs that will cover: Statistics Epidemiology and biostatistics Grant-writing IRB submission Data analytics Quality improvement and patient safety Fellows will be expected to present at Grand Rounds and national conferences. Fellows will not be required to obtain a master’s degree. However, should a fellow want to pursue a full master’s degree, they will have the choice of pursuing a master’s in public health (MPH), master’s in business administration (MBA) or a master’s in biomedical and translational science (MS-BATS). The MS-BATS is a popular and well-reviewed training program in clinical research at UCI. The fellow is able to take the online NIH clinical research certificate course, which consists of 40 recorded lectures and a final exam. Have questions about the program? Connect with us for more information. Email Us