VCU’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology is the only academic OB/GYN department in Central Virginia and is the regional destination for clinician education and subspecialty care. Our collaborative and supportive work environment fosters the development of caring, resilient, hardworking physicians who simultaneously provide compassionate care and evidence-based practice.
As the department expands, so do our abilities to treat patients, train the next generation of physicians and conduct innovative research that inform the future of the field. Our facilities now include:
- An in vitro fertilization lab
- A pelvic health center
- Updated labor and delivery rooms
Patient volume across all our specialties have increased in recent years, and our research efforts have grown to include more clinical trials in the Division of Gynecologic Oncology and a lab dedicated to gender-informed care for people with substance use disorders.
Our Mission
As a state-funded institution that serves as a resource for the entire Commonwealth of Virginia, the VCU Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology has three core missions:
- To educate resident physicians, medical students and allied health professionals in patient-centered and evidence-based obstetrics, gynecology and women’s health
- To provide the highest quality specialty and subspecialty OB/GYN care, with special focuses on meeting the needs of the underserved, reducing health disparities and serving as a referral source for patients with complex medical issues
- To advance OB/GYN care through cutting-edge basic science, translational and clinical research
Our History
Richard Lafon Bohannon, M.D., a Virginia pioneer in obstetrics, became the first to teach the subject at the Medical College of Virginia (MCV), now VCU School of Medicine.
Operative gynecology began at MCV with the advent of J.W. Long, M.D., a professor of diseases of women.
Charles Russell Robins, M.D., became the first medical professor of gynecology at MCV.
H. Hudnall Ware, Jr., M.D., a professor of OB/GYN who trained at MCV, became a founding fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Dr. Ware was also known for being the first OB/GYN in Richmond to perform a cesarean section in the late 1920s.
The Ware Society, later renamed the Ware-Dunn Society, was formed as an opportunity for scientific and social intercourse among the department’s OB/GYN resident alumni.
Leo Dunn, M.D., became the first chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at MCV. During his time as chair, Dr. Dunn hired some of Virginia’s first physicians certified in OB/GYN subspecialties, initiated the OB/GYN nurse practitioner program and spearheaded the creation of the university’s first women’s health care clinic.
John Seeds, M.D. was appointed department chair, and served in the role through 2010.
Dr. Dunn received VCU’s highest honor, the Presidential Medallion, for his contributions to the university.
David Chelmow, M.D., joined the faculty as professor and department chair.