Complex Family Planning Fellowship

The clinical and research activities of the Division of Complex Family Planning offer a diverse training program, supported by physician scientists and academic clinicians. This provides exposure to different practice approaches, patient populations, and experiences throughout the course of fellow's training.

Sarah Averbach, M.D., M.A.S.   Program Director, CFP Fellowship   Professor, Complex Family Planning Dr. Sarah Averbach completed residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard University. She then completed her Fellowship in Complex Family Planning, and a Master of Advanced Science in Epidemiology and Biostatistics, from UC San Francisco.  Her research focuses on medication abortion access, including pharmacist dispensing of mifepristone, early and immediate postpartum contraception, and contraceptive decision-making, locally and globally.

Sheila Mody, M.D., M.P.H.   Associate Program Director, CFP Fellowship   Divison Director & Professor   Complex Family Planning Professor Dr. Sheila Mody is the Founding Director of the Division and Fellowship in Complex Family Planning in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences at UC San Diego, where she also serves as the inaugural Director of the Compassion in Medicine Academic Concentration in the School of Medicine. Dr. Mody received her undergraduate degree, MPH, and MD from the University of Michigan and completed her OBGYN residency at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, a Harvard teaching hospital, before doing her complex family planning fellowship at Northwestern University. As a clinician scientist and prior NIH K12 WRHR Scholar, Dr. Mody’s research focuses on improving pain management during IUD placement and contraceptive counseling for individuals with medical conditions such as epilepsy, breast cancer, organ transplant, and cystic fibrosis.  She loves being a clinician scientists and inspiring trainees to convert frustration into the research studies or quality improvement initiatives.

Pratima Gupta, M.D., M.P.H., FACOG   Associate Physician Diplomate, Complex Family Planning After living and working in San Francisco for nearly 15 years, Dr. Pratima Gupta moved to San Diego in 2019 where she is a double board-certified obstetrician/gynecologist. In addition to her work at UCSD, she works at Planned Parenthood San Diego and Planned Parenthood Great Plains where she provides abortion care and comprehensive reproductive health. She is also on the Board of Directors of Close the Gap California which works towards getting more women elected to State office and on the Board of Directors of Essential Access Health which champions and promotes quality sexual and reproductive healthcare for all. In addition to chasing after two young children, she is a triathlete. Dr. Gupta's professional interests include sustainable global health initiatives via advocacy collaboration, equitable care delivery, inclusion, and mentorship, justice focused and anti-racism education, and increasing family planning access.

Danielle Vachon, M.D.   Assistant Professor, Complex Family Planning Dr. Danielle Vachon completed her Obstetrics and Gynecology residency at the University of Illinois in Chicago and her Complex Family Planning fellowship at UC San Diego in 2024. She joined the UC San Diego faculty in 2024 as a member of the Division of Complex Family Planning. Dr. Vachon is passionate about supporting patients experiencing pregnancy loss and seeking abortion care. Her research interests include medical student and resident education in abortion and contraception care.

Kelly Culwell, M.D. Associate Physician Diplomate, Complex Family Planning Dr. Kelly Culwell completed her residency at University of California, San Diego and her Fellowship in Complex Family Planning and Master of Public Health at Northwestern University. Her research focuses on development of novel contraceptive methods in her role as Chief Medical Officer and Head of Research & Development at Sebela Women's Health.

UC San Diego Fellows in Family Planning

Karen Greiner, M.D., M.P.H. 2024-2026 Fellow Hometown: Palo Alto, CA Residency: Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Medical School: Oregon Health & Science University Research Interests: Clinical outcomes in abortion and contraceptive care, access to reproductive health services and policy impact, decision-making, patient experience, and health equity

Cynthia Coots, M.D. 2025-2027 Fellow Hometown: Austin, TX Residency: New York Medical College Medical School: University of Texas Houston Research Interests: Policy Implementation, Health Equity

Abortion Services

First Trimester Services

In the Pregnancy Options Clinic, we offer dilation and suction curettage for abortion, and early pregnancy loss. Pain management options in clinic include oral medications and IV sedation. In the operating room we care for patients with complex medical conditions or pregnancy complications such as cesarean scar ectopic pregnancy.

Second Trimester Services

In outpatient surgical centers and the operating room, we provide Dilation and Evacuation Care for patients desiring abortion or with a pregnancy loss in the second trimester. We care for patients with complex medical conditions and pregnancy complications such as placenta accreta spectrum.

Call schedule

Fellows call includes:

Contraception Services

Complex Contraceptive Clinic (CCC)
In CCC, we provide contraceptive care to patients with medical conditions such as a history of transplant surgery, epilepsy, cystic fibrosis, cancer, and lupus.

Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest (PPPSW) 
In addition to the operating rooms and surgical centers across UC San Diego; We have a longstanding affiliation with PPPSW -- one of the largest Planned Parenthood affiliates in the country. PPPSW provides serves San Diego, Riverside, and Imperial Counties.

Masters degree options

The UC San Diego Family Planning Fellows have the option of completing Master level course work during their fellowship via the CREST program. If fellows would like, they can pursue a Masters of Advanced Studies in Clinical Research at University of California, San Diego but this would involve their own financial contribution.

Masters of Advanced Studies in Clinical Research
The Masters of Advanced Studies in Clinical Research is offered via the Clinical Research Enhancement through Supplemental Training (CREST) Program.

• Track II program facilitates obtaining a Masters of Advanced Studies in Clinical Research. The program involves 8 modules which is equal to 16 credit hours. One module is 10 weeks long and involves 2 hours of class in the early evening. In addition, the fellow would be matched with a faculty research mentor for an individual research project.

International Opportunities

The Division collaborates closely with the Global Women’s Health Program (also led by Dr Averbach).  The program provides a robust and sustainable program to support education and provision of high quality, evidence-based reproductive healthcare across global partnerships. The program provides a Global Health curriculum for UCSD medical students, residents, and fellows which serves as the educational framework for responsible and sustainable resident global health work. GWH coordinates short-term teaching opportunities in global health for interested fellows and coordinates responsible clinical rotations for interested fellows at key collaborator sites in Botswana, India, Mexico, and Mozambique.

Didactics

The family planning fellows will follow the Fellowship in Family Planning Guide to Learning. They are expected to gain competency in the following areas:

• Anatomy and physiology of reproduction
• Mechanism of action of contraceptive methods
• Use of contraception by women with complex medical problems
• Surgical and medical termination of pregnancy
• First and second trimester ultrasound
• Laparoscopic permanent contraception procedures
• Placement and removal of long acting reversible contraception
• Psychological considerations including pregnancy options counseling
• Family Planning Public policy and advocacy
• International family planning

Collaborations

Center for Gender Equity and Health (GEH)
The mission of GEH is “to improve population health and development by improving the status, opportunities and safety of women and girls, globally. The Center focuses on conducting innovative global public health research, medical and academic training, and development and evaluation of evidence-based policies and practices related to gender inequities (girl child marriage, son preference and daughter aversion) gender-based violence (partner violence, sexual assault & exploitation, sex trafficking).”

State Collaborations
UC Family Planning Collaborative UCSD is the part of the UC Family Planning Collaborative. The mission of the collaborative is to inform policy, training and patient care by conducting multi-campus family planning research. Dr. Mody is the Principal Investigator for the Grant from the University of California, Office of the President Grant to establish the UC Family Planning Collaborative. There is a family planning fellowship trained participant at UCSF, UCLA, UC Davis, UC Irvine and UCSD. Fellows participate in the quarterly UC Family Planning Combined Journal Club. They will also be able to take advantage of potentially recruiting subjects for their research studies at other UC campuses.

National Collaborations
The family Planning fellows are encouraged to apply to become junior fellows in the Society of Family Planning.

Advocacy Mentorship
Dr. Pratima Gupta has joined our faculty and will serve as an advocacy mentor. She will teach the fellows how to participate in letter writing and lobbying.

Additional Program Highlights

Psychosocial Support
There are quarterly social events with family planning faculty to create a welcoming environment for fellows.

Dr. Mody and Dr. Averbach oversee the fellows’ research studies. They ensure the fellows pick feasible projects and have realistic timelines to facilitate completion of the projects during the fellowship. Depending on a fellow’s research interests, the fellows will be matched with an appropriate research mentor. We know that fellows may have diverse interests from basic science to international health.

Research Resources

Clinical Translational Research Institute (CTRI) 
This center has multiple resources for fellows including biostatical assistance. Specifically, CTRI has weekly open door office hours. Fellows can seek help to decide  sample size, request creation of randomization, and help with data analysis. 

Dr. Averbach has considerable experience in global reproductive health and research as well as clinical expertise in family planning gained during her fellowship training at UCSF. She is the Director for Program in Global Women's Health within the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences at UC San Diego. This program seeks to address health disparities in family planning care and to transform patient care and research collaborations globally in a sustainable way. In order to build this program, she focused on strengthening relationships with colleagues in academic institutions and NGOs around the world including existing relationships in Mozambique, Nepal, Uganda and India.

Application Deadline is Monday, May 4, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. PT / 5:00 p.m. ET

The Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) coordinates the Complex Family Planning Fellowship application process, including letters of recommendation. The UCSD Complex Family Planning Fellowship program accepts one fellow each year.