On July 1, Houston Methodist Willowbrook’s OB-GYN residency hits its first anniversary, wrapping a whirlwind debut year that started in 2025 with an inaugural class of just five residents. Faculty and trainees say that tight-knit group got pulled into leadership early and plenty of hands-on work, and the hospital is now gearing up to bring in a second five-person class this July.
Program built for northwest Houston
Houston Methodist describes the four-year residency as a community-centered track meant to expand access to obstetric and gynecologic care across northwest Houston. The hospital’s program page lists Dr. Sarah Hoopes as program director, notes that the residency opened in 2025 with five residents, and highlights a high-volume labor and delivery unit with Level III maternal and neonatal designations, according to Houston Methodist.
Residents reflect on a fast-paced first year
Members of the inaugural class told local reporters the residency’s small size quickly built camaraderie but also meant there was nowhere to hide as schedules and workflows were still being shaped. Resident Christine Jeong said they "had to step into leadership early" while juggling clinic time, deliveries and surgical shifts under faculty supervision, according to Community Impact.
Interdisciplinary training and low-intervention care
The curriculum pairs residents with pelvic-floor physical therapists, sonographers, genetic counselors, certified nurse midwives, lactation consultants and neonatal nurses so trainees can follow patients through prenatal visits, delivery and the postpartum period. The program page also outlines a dedicated colposcopy clinic, simulation-based skills training and a family-planning curriculum as a Ryan Program Development site. Those rotations and clinics are structured to preserve continuity of care so residents can see patients over time, per Houston Methodist.
Demand and the next cohort
After receiving about 450 applications, Program Manager Janiece Dziedzic said the hospital will welcome another five-person cohort on July 1. The outlet adds that northwest Harris County’s female population has grown by roughly 10% over the last five years while county births have held steady, context program leaders cite when pushing for more local OB-GYN capacity, according to Community Impact.
Leaders say they hope many graduates will stay in the suburbs to help close care gaps as the residency grows. The program is listed in the AMA’s FREIDA database and participates in the National Resident Matching Program, and the FREIDA entry details a staged plan to scale up to a full 20-resident complement by 2029, according to AMA/FREIDA.
