Accelerator Curriculum

1. The Field of REI

Start with the mission, patient population, and clinical context of reproductive endocrinology and infertility.

• Welcome to IVFU
• The Mission and Pillars of REI
• Our Patients: Reasons for Seeking Care, Demographics and Stats
• Unit 1 Study Guide

2. Speaking of Fertility

Build fluency with the language of fertility care and the patient journey through evaluation and treatment.

• Fertility, Infertility, and Sterility
• Bio buzzwords
• The Patient Journey Through the Fertility Maze
• Unit 2 Study Guide

3. Reproduction Re-Imagined

Review reproductive anatomy, menstrual cycle physiology, hormone patterns, and the clinical framework used in fertility care.

• 28 Days: A New Way of Understanding the Menstrual Cycle
• Drilling Down on the Menstrual Cycle: Ovaries and Endometrium
• Hormone Patterns Within Menstrual Cycle
• Male Reproductive Anatomy
• Unit 3 Study Guide

4. Looking for the Causes of Infertility

Learn how infertility workups are structured, what clinicians are looking for, and how common findings are interpreted.

• The “major players”: What we look for and when we test.
• Female Patient Workup: Eggs, Ovulation, Tubes & Uterus
• Routine General Health Screening Typically Included in Workup
• Genetic Disease Carrier Training
• The Male Patient Workup: Semen Analysis and Sperm Factors
• Common Diagnosis Buckets: What the Findings Usually Mean
• When the Workup Is Normal: Unexplained Infertility
• Unit 4 Case Study

5. Treatment Pathways

Understand how diagnosis leads to treatment planning, from lower-intervention cycles to IVF, ICSI, PGT, and third party parenting.

• From Diagnosis to Treatment Plan: The Treatment Ladder
• Morning Monitoring: The Basis for Cycle Decisions
• In VIVO: IUI and Lower-Intervention Cycles
• In Vitro Fertilization (“Traditional” IVF and ICSI)
• Next Level IVF: PGT and Third Party Parenting
• Understanding Success Rates
• Unit 5 Study Guide

6. Medications, Protocols & Procedures

Get oriented to medication logistics, protocol timing, injection support, retrievals, and embryo transfers.

• Medication Management and Logistics
• Helping Patients with Needle Phobia
• Medication Categories: What the Drugs Are Trying to Do
• IVF Protocols: Stimulation, Suppression, Trigger, and Timing
• Egg Retrieval: Where Clinic Meets Lab
• Embryo Transfer: Protocols, Timing, and Procedure
• Unit 6 Study Guide

7. Lab Literacy

Learn the basics of embryology lab workflow, fertilization, embryo development, grading, and genetic testing terminology.

• Where the Magic Happens: The Different Labs and What They Do
• Fertilization and Embryo Development
• Embryo Grading: 1-2-3 A-B-C
• Types of PGT: Preimplantation Genetic Testing
• Unit Seven Study Guide

8. Clinic Operations

See how the REI clinic functions day to day, including workflow, finances, insurance, roles, rules, and regulations.

• Daily Work Flow
• Financial Realities and Insurance Facts of Life
• Who’s In Charge Here? Roles, Rules and Regulations
• Unit Eight Study Guide

9. Vital Role of an REI Nurse

Focus on the nursing skills that support safe, calm, clear patient care across the fertility treatment process.

• Calm, Competent and Communicative Interactions
• Cycle Killers
• Spotting Complications
• Unit Nine Study Guide

10. Key Take-Aways from an Unusual Vantage Point

Close with practical perspective, reliable resources, and encouragement from 25 years in the field.

• What I've Learned After 25 years: Thoughts and Feelings
• Safe Spaces: Sources of Reliable Information and Trusted Support
• Summary, Encouragement & Thanks
• Unit Ten Study Guide