Abbreviated Curriculum Vitae ofGregory Petro

SUMMARY
Name: Dr Gregory Alan Petro
Qualifications: MBChB(UCT), FCOG(SA), CBAM(DMS)
Current Position:Chief Specialist Obstetrician and Gynaecologist
Head of Department: New Somerset Hospital and Metro West
Senior Lecturer: University of Cape Town
Contact details: E-mail:
Alternate e-mail:
Office: +27 (0)21402 6324
Mobile: +27 (0)83283 0105
Duties and Responsibilities:
  • Head of clinical department with clinical, management and teaching responsibilities
  • Head of general specialist services, clinical coordination, and clinical governance for Metro West
  • Joint clinical lead for Obstetrics and Gynaecology Provincial Clinical Guidance Committee
  • Program Lead for Leading Safe Choices. Reproductive Health training and advocacy program
  • Trainer in research methods and study design
  • Postgraduate trainer and supervisor
  • National examiner in under graduate and postgraduate programs
  • International examiner in undergraduate programs
  • International advisor to postgraduate programs

Qualifications, and where and when obtained

Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB)
University of Cape Town / 1986
Fellow of the College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (FCOG)
Colleges of Medicine of South Africa / 1996
Certificate in Business Administration and Management (CBAM)
Damelin Management School / 2003
* Passed course work for Master of Clinical Epidemiology (MClinEpi)
University of Stellenbosch
* Dissertation pending / 2009

Positions held & Current positions

Position / Place / Period
Intern / Groote Schuur Hospital (Medicine, General Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynaecology) / 01/01/87-31/12/87
General Medical Practice / Dr Y Noor Practice, Lotus River / 01/01/88-30/06/88
Senior House Officer / Somerset Hospital (Obstetrics and Gynaecology) / 01/07/88-31/12/88
General Medical Practice / Self-employed (Private Medical Practice, Kuils River) / 01/01/89-31/01/93
Registrar / Groote Schuur Hospital (Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology) / 01/02/93-31/03/97
Consultant / Groote Schuur Hospital (Head of Community Obstetrics) / 01/02/97-30/04/98
Specialist Obstetrician and Gynaecologist / Self-employed (Private Specialist Practice, Constantiaberg Medi-Clinic) / 01/05/98- 16/04/04
Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist / Locum consultant. NHS Antrim Area Hospital, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, UK / 22/04/04- 23/05/04
Senior Lecturer / Director: Community Based Education. Primary Health Care Directorate, Health Sciences Faculty, UCT / 01/06/04 – 21/11/04
Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist / Locum consultant. NHS (Royal Bournemouth Hospital, Bournemouth, England, UK / 25/11/04- 01/04/05
Senior Specialist / Head of Department: Obstetrics and Gynaecology - New Somerset Hospital / 11/04/05 – 31/10/07
Principal Specialist / Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. Tygerberg Hospital and Stellenbosch University / 01/11/07 – 31/08/09
Chief Specialist / Head Clinical Department: General Specialist Services: Obstetrics and Gynaecology. New Somerset Hospital and Metro West / 01/09/09 – present

Teaching and Learning

My teaching activities take place at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. My undergraduate teaching includes teaching clinical skills, lecturing, small group tutorials and bedside teaching at regional hospital level. My postgraduate teaching is mainly in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and in the Leading Safe Choices training program. I supervise students for the degree Master of Medicine (MMed) and I co-supervise many projects, providing methodological and statistical input.

My teaching focus is inthe following main areas:

  • Obstetrics emergencies
  • Approaches to gynaecological problems
  • Family planning and reproductive health
  • HIV and maternal health
  • Clinical epidemiology

Undergraduate teaching

Coordinator of all clinical attachments in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at New Somerset Hospital

Year 6 Obstetrics:

  • Clinical teaching and skills tutorials
  • Portfolio and clinical examiner

Year 5 Gynaecology:

  • Clinical teaching and skills tutorials
  • Portfolio and clinical examiner
  • Whole class lecture/workshop: Contraception

Year 4 Obstetrics:

  • Clinical teaching and skills tutorials
  • Portfolio and clinical examiner

Semester 6 Gynaecology and Women’s Health:

  • Introduction to Gynaecology
  • Tutorial
  • Whole class lecture: Approach to a patient with a pelvi-abdominal mass

Postgraduate teaching

Postgraduate Convenor. New Somerset Hospital:

I arrange the program and present topics on the weekly postgraduate teaching program. Topics are clinical and geared towards postgraduate examinations Prat 1 and 2 of the Fellowship in Obstetrics and Gynaecology – FCOG (SA)

Postgraduate Evidence Based Medicine teaching:

I developed a series of lectures (from a 3 day workshop that I designed) to teach and reflect on Evidence Based medicine with the following main focus areas:

Critical appraisal

Research methods

Basic medical statistics

Master of Medicine (Obstetrics and Gynaecology):

I supervise clinical training and logbooks for general specialist obstetrics and gynaecology, focusing on regional hospital clinical management and outreach. I also supervise surgical training, labour ward teaching and training, obstetrics emergencies training, operative vaginal delivery training, and gynaecological endoscopy training. Contributions to postgraduate teaching in the department and preparation for the examinations, Part 1 and Part 2 of the FCOG (SA)

Master of Medicine (Emergency Medicine):

Convener of postgraduate teaching at New Somerset Hospital (delegated since October 2015). I developed a teaching program and coordinated topics with Emergency Medicine Department. I teach 3 lectures every 3-month rotation. Topics:

Early pregnancy loss including modern management of miscarriage

Ectopic pregnancy including ultrasound

Management of common gynaecological emergencies

I developed the logbook and assessment procedures together with the Emergency medicine Department

Master of Medicine (Family Medicine):

Convener of postgraduate teaching at New Somerset Hospital (delegated since August 2015). I developed a teaching program and coordinated topics with my colleague, Dr T Matinde. We also developed an assessment pro-forma. The logbooks and clinical examinations are conducted together with consultants form the Department of Family Medicine and one of the New Somerset Hospital consultants). I assisted with the accreditation of Mitchells Plain District Hospital for postgraduate training. I developed a joint training rotation for family medicine in obstetrics and gynaecology together with the program convenor in the Department of Family Medicine.

I developed the logbook and assessment procedures in Family Medicine together Dr Matinde. I set questions for and have moderated the obstetrics and gynaecology question paper for the family medicine college examination FCFP (SA)

3.3Postgraduate supervision – Details in full curriculum vitae)

  1. Supervisor: Graduated MMed (Obstetrics and Gynaecology)

Sangita Dalla, Alrese Cloete, Daniela Krick, Manasri Naiker

  1. Co-Supervisor: Graduated MPH

Roxanne Beauclair

  1. Co-supervisor: Graduated MMed (Obstetrics and Gynaecology)

Garvey Chilopora, Reginald Chunda,Marlena Du Toit, Ahminah Fakier, Luis Gadama, Ann Horak, Gladys Membe, Candice Morrison, Nadia Naude, Malika Patel, Petro Wipplinger,

  1. Current MMed (Obstetrics and Gynaecology) students:

Dakalo Muavha: Uterine compression sutures in the management of patients with postpartum haemorrhage in a regional hospital

Amaal Schroeder: Outcome of twin deliveries at level 2 hospitals in Metro West Cape Town Health District

Kim Sonntag: A retrospective review of surgical site infection following caesarean section at Mowbray Maternity Hospital

Lughano Ndovie: Maternal and fetal outcomes of induction of labour using oral Misoprostol at New Somerset Hospital

Vakil Leelodharry: Maternal and neonatal outcomes in late preterm prelabour rupture of membranes – a retrospective study

Kate Chambers: Risks and outcomes of late preterm birth in the Metro West regional obstetric service

External examining at undergraduate level

2012 and 2015:

University of Stellenbosch. Final Year MBChB examinations in obstetrics and gynaecology. Examination of candidates, moderation of examination questions, exam board and report

2009:

University of Cape Town. Final Year MBChB examinations in obstetrics and gynaecology. Examination of candidates, moderation of examination questions, and exam board. (While I was a consultant and senior lecturer at Tygerberg Hospital and Stellenbosch University)

2016-2018:

University of Botswana. I have been appointed as the external examiner and moderator of the year 3 and year 5 (final year) obstetrics and gynaecology programs. I have already submitted the recommended questions and guidelines for the June 2016 examinations

External examining of dissertations/theses or post-graduate examinations

  1. Colleges of Medicine of South Africa

Examiner, FCOG (SA) Part 2. Final specialist examination of the College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (2012 - present)

Examiner, Dip Obstet (COG). Diploma in Obstetrics of the College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (2010 - present)

Convenor, Dip Obstet (COG). Diploma in Obstetrics of the College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (2012 - present)

  1. Dissertations

Dissertations and logbooks for Part 2 of the College examinations FCOG (SA) before 2011

Dissertations (MMed) for College and University examinations 2011 – present

  • University of KwaZulu-Natal and Stellenbosch University

Other teaching/learning activities

  • Master Trainer in Essential Steps for Managing Obstetric Emergencies (ESMOE)
  • International Trainer in Leading Safe Choices:
  • Lectures in Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology:
  • Community Education:
  • Program Development:
  • Departmental representative on undergraduate curriculum design forum
  • Councillor of College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (Colleges of Medicine of South Africa)
  • Contributor to examiners workshops of the COG
  • Contributor to departmental examiners workshops
  • Designed assessment forms for final year obstetrics clinical examination
  • Contributor of questions for OSCE/SOPE examinations
  • As senior lecturer in Primary Health Care Directorate I was responsible for Community Based Education:
  • Developed and present courses in Clinical Epidemiology:
  • Provides training for researchers in the department:

Research

After returning to public service my focus has been clinical work, teaching and management. I decided focus on developing general specialists in obstetrics and gynaecology. I therefore studied for a part-time degree Master of Clinical Epidemiology at Stellenbosch University. My involvement with research has only developed recently. My research activity is focused on the impact of HIV in obstetrics, service delivery research, and reproductive health topics. I am currently involved in several projects, some published and some pending publication. Priority research currently is maternal deaths occurring outside health facilities.

Articles, Editorials, Letters

Beauclair R, Petro G, Meyer L. The association between timing of initiation of antenatal care and stillbirths: a retrospective cohort study of pregnant women in Cape Town, South Africa. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 2014; 14: 204. IF: 2.190

Jao J, Abrams EJ, Phillips T, Petro G, Zerve A, Myer L. In Utero Tenofovir Exposure is not associated with Fetal Long Bone Growth. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 2016: 2(12): 1604-9. IF: 8.886

Langenegger E, Dalla S, Petro G, Hall D. Invasive versus non-invasive monitoring of acute severe hypertension in women with pre-eclampsia. Pregnancy Hypertension: An International Journal of Women’s Cardiovascular Health, 2012; 374-9.

Myer L, Phillips TK, Hsiao N-Y, Zerve A, Petro G, Bekker L-G, McIntyre JA, Abrams EJ. Plasma viraemia in HIV-positive pregnant women entering antenatal care in South Africa. JIAS 2015;18: 200045. IF: 5.09

Myer L, Phillips TK, Zerbe A, Ronan A, Hsiao N-Y, Mellins CA, Remien RH, Le Roux SM, Brittain K, Ciaranello A, Petro G, McIntyre JA, Abrams EJ. Optimizing Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) for Maternal and Child Health (MCH): Rationale and Design of the MCH-ART Study. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 2016;00: 1-8. IF: 4.556

Best practice in postpartum family planning. Published by the Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists 2015. IF: 3.437

Best practice in comprehensive abortion care. Published by the Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists 2015. IF: 3.437

Gaertner E, Petro G, de Jong P. Comparison of the footpump suction evacuator with the manual vacuum aspirator for uterine evacuation. SAMJ 1998;88: 187-192. IF: 1.712

Petro G. Operative vaginal delivery. Editorial. O&G Forum 2007;17: 93

Petro G. Malaria in pregnancy. Review article. O&G Forum 2007; 17: 117-121

Other contributions/reports

Published policy documents / Role of Applicant
Western Cape Department of Health: Guideline for the management of hypertension in pregnancy. (2008) / Guidelines committee member
Western Cape Department of Health: Guideline for the management of antepartum haemorrhage. (2008) / Guidelines committee member
Western Cape Department of Health: Guideline for the management of postpartum haemorrhage. (2008) / Guidelines committee member
Western Cape Department of Health: Guideline for the management of puerperal sepsis. (2008) / Guidelines committee member
Western Cape Department of Health: Contraception and Fertility Planning Guideline. (2016) / Lead clinician / committee member / co-author
Western Cape Department of Health: Guideline for the management Termination of Pregnancy. (2016) / Lead clinician / committee member / co-author
Western Cape Department of Health: postnatal Care Guideline and Management protocols. (2016) / Technical advisor / committee member / co-author

Research projects in progress

  1. Home Maternal Deaths.Research into differences in numbers, cause, and avoidable factors in maternal deaths occurring outside health facilities compared to deaths at facilities. Data from large population based demographic surveillance information system. Important research to contribute to reducing maternal deaths in South Africa. Will have wider application. Planned as research component for Master of Clinical Epidemiology degree, executive summary for Saving Mothers report and submission to South African Medical Journal for publication
  1. Registrar Research projects (MMed):
  • Induction of labour with oral Misoprostol
  • Preterm prelabour rupture of membranes
  • Uterine compression sutures for postpartum haemorrhage
  • Review of twin deliveries
  • Late preterm births
  1. Second trimester termination of pregnancy. Service delivery research in collaboration with Women’s’ Health Research Unit, University of Cape Town
  1. Manuscripts in development:
  • Sub-dermal contraceptive implants. Guidelines for removal and management of complications
  • Alternative methods of analgesia for uterine evacuation following miscarriage
  • How to read and interpret a meta-analysis graph (Forest Plots made easy)

University Leadership, Management and Administration

University committees

Appointed to the Senate of the University of Cape Town for the period 01 July 2016 to 30 June 2020

Member, Departmental Research Committee, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology:

Member of Health Sciences Faculty Board from 2016. Have received and replied to correspondence. First meeting pending

Member of Departmental Executive Committee

Member of Registrar Selection Committee

Member of Registrar roster committee (2005-present). Chairperson of Registrar roster committee (2005-2007)

Member of registrar performance assessment committee

Department liaison with the College of Medicine and Health Ministry in Malawi (2012-2015):

Member of Supernumerary Registrar Committee:

Leadership on committees

Member of Committee appointed by the Dean to Review the Academic status of the Department of Nursing (2014):

Chairperson of monthly Community-based education committee. (During Community Based Education appointment)

External structures

Member of South African Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (SASOG). Past committee member of Gynaecology Management Group (SASOG Private Practice representative committee)

Member of Council. College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa (2015-present)

Member of Western Cape Committee for Assessment of Maternal Deaths. Regional component of National Committee for Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths (NCCEMD)

Panel Member, Research Review Committee, New Somerset Hospital

Committee member, Academic Support Fund. New Somerset Hospital. Includes responsibility for supervision an devaluation of local and foreign elective students

Honours, awards, prizes

Departmental Prizes:

  • Merit award for top student. Damelin Business School. Certificate in business Administration and Management (2003)
  • Robert Soeters Award. Consultant voted most helpful by registrars (2014)
  • 2015: Athol Kent Award. Teaching in the Department of obstetrics and Gynaecology (2015)

9International collaborations
  • Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, London, UK. First respondent/applicant to partner with RCOG on Leading Safe Choices program. Gave technical input and liaised with Western Cape Department of Health. Developed Best Practice papers in Postpartum Family Planning and Comprehensive Abortion Care. Designed and piloted training programs in Postpartum Family Planning and Comprehensive Abortion Care. Implemented Leading Safe Choices in South Africa. First pilot sites established in Cape Town.
  • Ministry of Health, Tanzania. I have been invited to provide training of trainers for Leading Safe Choices in DaresSalaam when the program is launched.
  • University of Botswana.I have been appointed as external examiner for the undergraduate program in Obstetrics and Gynaecology for 3 years (2016-2018). Responsibilities include setting exam questions, moderating the examinations, taking part in the examinations, writing a report for the university. First question papers have been set and moderated. Travelling to Gaborone, Botswana 12 June 2016 for examinations.
  • College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Malawi. Presented the key-note address at the First Scientific Meeting, Mangochi, Lake Malawi. Key-note address title: Challenges and opportunities for training registrars in Obstetrics and Gynaecology: Reflections on an international program. I maintain liaison and collaboration with consultants in Malawi.
  • Queens University, Belfast, Northern Ireland.As locum consultant was invited examiner at final year obstetrics and gynaecology examinations. My first experience of the use of mannequins in clinical examinations and assessments.
  • Bournemouth and Christchurch NSH Hospitals Trust, Bournemouth, England, UK. As locum consultant actively participated in training and supervision of residents. Presented a departmental lecture on HIV in pregnancy.

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