Gynecology and Obstetrics emerged as foundational fields of study at Johns Hopkins in the late 19th century. At the time, Johns Hopkins was unique in connecting a school of medicine and university to a hospital and ultimately a health system. One of the four founding Johns Hopkins physicians, Howard Kelly focused on gynecologic surgery. He was joined by J.W. Williams who became one of the first deans of the school of medicine and advanced obstetrics as an academic discipline. For more than half of the 20th century, Gynecology and Obstetrics existed as two departments at Johns Hopkins. Upon the retirements of Richard TeLinde, the last Director (Chair) of Gynecology, and Nicholson Eastman, the last Director of Obstetrics, the modern Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics was united under the direction of Allan Barnes. The Manual, now in its 7th edition, emerged in this modern era and continues as a collaborative effort. Chapters include resident and fellows as authors along with faculty preceptors as senior editors. We strive to create a resource for learners and busy clinicians, providing practical management principles with appropriate background information.

The first decade of the 21st century at Johns Hopkins saw a recommitment and focus on education and learning. We dedicate this 7th edition to two individuals who worked tirelessly to advance this mission, Harold Fox and Jessica Bienstock. There have been five Directors of the modern department with Dr. Fox as the longest serving. An expert in fetal health and particularly for mothers with HIV and high-risk obstetrical patients, he is an internationally recognized leader in maternal-fetal medicine. Importantly, he served as a mentor across multiple levels of learners. He was the ultimate teacher of teachers and mentored us for leadership positions in academic medicine. Jessica Bienstock was recruited by Hal Fox and rose to become the Residency Program Director. She is recognized as a premier educator in gynecology and obstetrics, serving in leadership roles for the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and the Council on Resident Education in Obstetrics and Gynecology. Today she services as Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education and the Designated Institutional Official for Johns Hopkins Medicine. We were recruited to the department by Dr. Fox, ultimately succeeding Dr. Fox and Dr. Bienstock as the Director (AS) and Residency Program Director (BC), respectively. We are profoundly grateful for their mentorship and dedication to our department. They have had an immense impact on hundreds and hundreds of medical students, residents, fellows, and faculty. More important to us has been their friendship and example they set in modeling collaboration and collegiality.

Thus, we are proud of our 135-year history, yet remain committed to advancing our specialty and subspecialties. In the past decade, we have expanded our mission to a quad-partite focus including clinical care, research, education, and advocacy. Harold Fox and Jessica Bienstock and those who came before, as well as our current learners, inspire us to innovate, disseminate information, and continue to advance our quad-partite mission.

Andy Satin, MD

Betty Chou, MD

The Johns Hopkins Manual of Gynecology and Obstetrics aims to use inclusive language to recognize all patients who receive obstetric and gynecologic care. The authors recognize that there are limitations to this, for example, in source material that does not use inclusive language. However, we recognize the importance and gravity of inclusive language. Language has been changed when able, but note that throughout the manual, if there are instances of the term “women,” for example, and like terms, this is intended to encompass gender inclusive language and represent all patients that obstetricians and gynecologists care for throughout their lives.