Trainee Perspectives Regarding the Effect of the Dobbs V. Jackson Women's Health Organization Supreme Court Decision on Obstetrics and Gynecology Training

Authors

Kate V. Meriwether, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Shunaha Kim-Fine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Tova Ablove, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York.
Arthur Ollendorff, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Carilion Clinic-Virginia Tech Carilion SOM, Roanoke, Virginia.
Lindsay E. Dale, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maine Medical Center, Portland, Maine.
Jamie W. Krashin, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico.
William D. Winkelman, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Mount Auburn Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
Francisco Orejuela, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.
Donna Mazloomdoost, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, INOVA Fairfax Hospital, Falls Church, Virginia.
Cara L. Grimes, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York.
A Jenna Beckham, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, WakeMed Health and Hospitals, Raleigh, North Carolina.
Katie Propst, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida.
Maria E. Florian-Rodriguez, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas.
Jema K. Turk, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California.
Olivia H. Chang, Department of Urology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California.
Sarah Horvath, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Penn State University Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, Pennsylvania.
Stephanie T. Ros, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida.
Catrina C. Crisp, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, TriHealth Division of Urogynecology, Cincinnati, Ohio.
Timothy R. Petersen, Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Cheryl B. Iglesia, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, MedStar Washington Hospital Center, Washington, District of Columbia.

Author Type(s)

Faculty

DOI

10.1089/jwh.2023.0960

Journal Title

Journal of Women's Health

First Page

908

Last Page

915

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

7-1-2024

Department

Obstetrics and Gynecology

Abstract

We aimed to describe obstetrics and gynecology (OBGYN) trainees' anticipation of how the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization (Dobbs) U.S. Supreme Court decision may affect their training. A REDCap survey of OBGYN residents and fellows in the United States from September 19, 2022, to December 1, 2022, queried trainees' anticipated achievement of relevant Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) training milestones, their concerns about the ability to provide care and concern about legal repercussions during training, and the importance of OBGYN competence in managing certain clinical situations for residency graduates. The primary outcome was an ACGME program trainee feeling uncertain or unable to obtain the highest level queried for a relevant ACGME milestone, including experiencing 20 abortion procedures in residency. We received 469 eligible responses; the primary outcome was endorsed by 157 respondents (33.5%). After correction for confounders, significant predictors of the primary outcome were state environment (aOR = 3.94 for pending abortion restrictions; aOR = 2.71 for current abortion restrictions), trainee type (aOR = 0.21 for fellow vs. resident), and a present or past Ryan Training Program in residency (aOR = 0.55). Although the vast majority of trainees believed managing relevant clinical situations are key to OBGYN competence, 10%-30% of trainees believed they would have to stop providing the standard of care in clinical situations during training. This survey of OBGYN trainees indicates higher uncertainty about achieving ACGME milestones and procedural competency in clinical situations potentially affected by the Dobbs decision in states with legal restrictions on abortion.

Recommended Citation

Meriwether, K. V., Kim-Fine, S., Ablove, T., Ollendorff, A., Dale, L. E., Krashin, J. W., Winkelman, W. D., Orejuela, F., Mazloomdoost, D., Grimes, C. L., Beckham, A. J., Propst, K., Florian-Rodriguez, M. E., Turk, J. K., Chang, O. H., Horvath, S., Ros, S. T., Crisp, C. C., Petersen, T. R., & Iglesia, C. B. (2024). Trainee Perspectives Regarding the Effect of the Dobbs V. Jackson Women's Health Organization Supreme Court Decision on Obstetrics and Gynecology Training. Journal of Women's Health, 33 (7), 908-915. https://doi.org/10.1089/jwh.2023.0960