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The Impact of Dobbs on US Graduate Medical Education

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 December 2023

Amirala S. Pasha Open the ORCID record for Amirala S. Pasha [Opens in a new window] ,
Daniel Breitkopf  and
Gretchen Glaser
Amirala S. Pasha
Affiliation:
MAYO CLINIC, ROCHESTER, MN, USA.
Daniel Breitkopf
Affiliation:
MAYO CLINIC, ROCHESTER, MN, USA.
Gretchen Glaser
Affiliation:
MAYO CLINIC, ROCHESTER, MN, USA.
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Abstract

The Dobbs decision will directly affect patients and reproductive rights; it will also impact patients indirectly in many ways, one of which will be changes in the physician workforce through its impact on graduate medical education. Current residency accreditation standards require training in all forms of contraception in addition to training in the provision of abortion. State bans on abortions may diminish access to training as approximately half of obstetrics and gynecology residency programs are in states with significant abortion restrictions. The Dobbs decision creates numerous hurdles for trainees and their programs. Trainees in restrictive states will have to travel to learn in a different program in a protective state. As training opportunities diminish, potentially leading to a decline in clinical skills, knowledge, and experience in the provision of abortion, the rate of complications and maternal mortality are likely to rise. This will likely have a disproportionately negative effect on preexisting disparities in reproductive health fueled by a longstanding history of systemic racism and inequities. This work aims to both define the looming problem in abortion training created by Dobbs and propose solutions to ensure that an adequate workforce is available in the future to serve patient needs.

Keywords

AbortionGynecology and Obstetrics EducationGraduate Medical EducationPhysician WorkforceWomen’s Health
Type
Symposium Articles
Information
Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics , Volume 51 , Issue 3: Seeking Reproductive Justice in the Next 50 Years , Fall 2023 , pp. 497 - 503
Copyright
© 2023 The Author(s)

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