Family planning competency following medical school Ob/Gyn clerkships at faith-based and secular sites

Rachel N. Feltman, Steven R. Lewis, Nathan E. Thompson

Family planning competency following medical school Ob/Gyn clerkships at faith-based and secular sites

2024

Nature

Medical education
Abortion
Contraception
Obstetrics and gynecology
Clinical education
Clinical training

English

Contraception and abortion topics are variably, but often poorly, addressed in medical school curricula. Restrictions on contraceptive and abortion care at faith-based hospitals may hinder comprehensive family planning training for medical students during Ob/Gyn clerkships. Here we investigated whether medical students at faith-based and non-faith-based clerkships experienced different observations during their Ob/Gyn clerkship and/or differences in self-perceived competency in patient counseling, objective knowledge, and perceived adequacy of training in contraception and abortion topics post-clerkship. A survey was distributed to third- and fourth-year medical students at New York Institute of Technology, College of Osteopathic Medicine. Across all clerkship sites (n = 102 students), observations of, and competency in, contraceptive care was higher than in abortion care. Students at non-faith-based clerkship sites (n = 54) reported the highest levels of observation of contraceptive and abortion care (19.6-90.7%), while those at Catholic sites (n = 26) typically reported the lowest (7.7-34.6%). Students at non-faith-based sites reported significantly higher competency in contraceptive care and some aspects of abortion care, than those at Catholic, and some other faith-based sites (n = 48). Clerkship training at faith-based sites, specifically Catholic sites, resulted in poorer Ob/Gyn training, particularly in contraceptive care. Training outcomes in abortion care were poor at all Ob/Gyn clerkship sites.

Scientific Reports, Volume 14, Issue 1, February 2024, 3667

Copyright © The Author(s) 2024

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https://repository.nyitlibrary.org/items/show/3796 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-54304-5