Written by Anna Hindman, AMSA Vice President for Leadership Development, and Reproductive Justice Coordinator for Gender & Sexuality Action Committee;
Anna is a 3rd year medical student at Touro University California College of Osteopathic Medicine
and Aliye Runyan, MD – AMSA Reproductive Health Strategist
Help Make a Difference in Your Medical Education!
AMSA Repro Health Project Curriculum Survey
Medical education on family planning and abortion care is not standardized across U.S. medical schools, and in many instances, is lacking in the core medical school curriculum. Most physicians, other than ob-gyns and family medicine physicians, only have the opportunity for education on abortion care in medical school unless they seek additional training on their own.
Furthermore, as this article (Abortion Training in Medical Education — Implications of the Supreme Court’s Upcoming Decision | NEJM) points out, only 22% of ob-gyns graduating residency are competent in performing dilation and evacuation, the procedure for second trimester abortions. Only 71% of graduates are competent to perform first-trimester abortion, 66% are competent in medication abortion, and 67% are competent in induction of labor for second- and third-trimester terminations.
Given that one in four women in the United States will have an abortion, this lack of training creates an even further lack of access to care. That, atop a multitude of state restrictions on abortion access post-Roe, has led to a public health emergency. Part of the solution is adequate family planning and abortion training during pre-clinical and clinical years of medical school education.
The AMSA Reproductive Health Project is conducting a survey of medical students and faculty to assess quality and quantity of abortion training across MD and DO schools in the US.
Given our new post-Roe reality, this research is vitally important! It includes a 5-minute survey for medical students exploring medical education opportunities in reproductive health and abortion care available to them through their schools. The student survey is IRB approved, anonymous, and completely voluntary. The results of the survey will inform our work with medical schools to improve and expand education and training opportunities.
We are looking for your assistance in distributing the survey at your school! If you are interested in helping to coordinate at your school, please email Anna Hindman, AMSA Vice President of Leadership Development (anna.hindman@amsa.org) with your name and school. We will then provide you with a sample message to share with your classmates that you are welcome to adapt and any other assistance needed. If there are several people interested from your school, we will connect you all so you can work together.
In addition, we encourage you to complete the survey even if you are unable to help with distribution. Click here to complete.
Thank you again for your time and assistance!
