Mountain Area Health Education Center Program

Program Identity & Fit

MAHEC Ob/Gyn is a community-based hybrid program that delivers academic-caliber training through a high-volume tertiary referral hospital (Mission Hospital, over 4,000 deliveries and 40,000 surgeries annually) while maintaining a smaller, supportive residency culture. The interprofessional model integrates maternal-fetal medicine, midwifery, gynecologic oncology, urogynecology, reproductive endocrinology, and rural women's health specialists, giving residents exposure to both high-risk obstetrics and community-oriented care models like Centering Pregnancy and Mothering Asheville. Research is institutionally supported through a dedicated Department of Program Evaluation and Research, with resident projects influencing clinical practice, though the program's stated core mission is producing well-rounded generalist Ob/Gyns rather than subspecialists. Rural training opportunities, international electives, and a heavy simulation curriculum (20%+ of didactics) reflect a program that values broad clinical competence and community/regional service alongside academic rigor.