Second annual ‘GOHO’ course teams ob/gyn residents with ultrasound leaders

The GOHO course returned to the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City for its second year last month, bringing learning from ultrasound’s leaders to enthusiastic ob/gyn residents. It’s the second year for the free program, hosted by The Gottesfeld-Hohler (GOHO) Memorial Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving education and research in ultrasound for ob/gyns.

Speakers at the program, which attracted 63 second-year residents, included Contemporary OB/GYN Editorial Board member Joshua A. Copel, MD, John Hobbins, MD, Larry Platt, MD, Lynn Simpson, MD, Joanne Stone, MD, Ilan Timor, MD, and Mark Sauer, MD. Spanning a full weekend, the 2-day course afforded the students the opportunity for 3 hours of hands-on scanning per day-twice the amount as last year. Attendees rotated through six rooms equipped with ultrasound machines on which they performed biometric scans on live models and two with simulators on which to practice transvaginal ultrasound and view cases involving gynecologic pathology.

Joshua A. Copel, MD

The GOHO program was supported by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) Council on Resident Education in Obstetrics and Gynecology (CREOG), and utilized educational materials developed along with the International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology (ISUOG), and the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM).

“I am thrilled that Mount Sinai was selected to host the GOHO resident ultrasound course for the second year in a row,” said Dr. Stone, who is Director of Maternal-Fetal Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital. “The turnout was incredible. The residents really seemed to learn so much from both the hands-on sessions and the ultrasound lectures. Every second-year resident in the country should be able to attend this course.” 

The Gottesfeld-Hohler Memorial Foundation honors the memory of Kenneth Gottesfeld and Charles Hohler, two early pioneers of ob/gyn ultrasound. The organization has co-sponsored a research award with ACOG, run “think tanks” and provides grants for other ultrasound education activities. Faculty for the GOHO program receive only expense reimbursements and no honoraria.

Dr. Copel, who is the group’s treasurer, reports that more than 98% of the money the organization raises goes to support scholarly activities. The ultrasound program is the organization’s way of leveraging its limited assets to support its educational goals. Corporate sponsors for this year’s event were GE, Philips, and Samsung; Medaphor and Sonosim also participated in the event. Money is also raised through a continuing education ultrasound course the Foundation offers every year in December. Information on that course is available at www.cmebyplaza.com.

Course photos courtesy Kimberly Abruzese, RDMS