Dear Complex Family Planning Fellowship applicant:
In advance of your interview with us, I want to update you on the events in our state. On Wednesday, Georgia House Bill 481 went into effect, banning induced abortions after the detection of fetal cardiac activity with few exceptions (medical emergency/emergent condition, severe fetal anomaly, rape/incest). While we have been preparing for this outcome, news of the final ruling is devastating to many of us throughout Emory University, our reproductive health community, and Georgia.
Emory University has long been a leader in providing excellent, evidence‐based reproductive health care, training, and research in the Southeast, and we remain steadfast in that commitment. Our fellowship will continue its excellent program, including early abortion, early pregnancy loss, complex contraception, research, education, and advocacy. As a referral center for our region, we will continue to see the most complex of patients who can be cared for in our state. In addition, we will provide our fellows out‐of‐state rotations in order to further their training in abortion, especially in the second trimester.
And now, more than ever, education and research in reproductive health and the adverse impact of restrictive laws is needed within our academic institution and our community. Our faculty and fellows will continue this vital work, collaborating with our colleagues and our community partners.
We look forward to your interview with us. I am happy to answer any questions before then or during the interview day.
Sincerely,
Carrie Cwiak, MD, MPH
(pronouns: she/her/hers)
Director, Family Planning Division and Fellowship Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics Emory University School of Medicine