The education of physicians-in-training plays an important role in the provision of comprehensive, high-quality reproductive health services in the United States. Recent efforts by accreditation bodies and professional organizations to establish and clarify core competencies in reproductive health have recognized the importance of this area of education and training. However, little is known about the scope and extent of reproductive health in required undergraduate medical education.
This study assessed the reproductive health content of clinical medical education in the United States. We asked directors of obstetrics and gynecology and family medicine clerkships at all accredited osteopathic medical schools (N=26) to identify the inclusion of and time dedicated to seven different core areas of reproductive health: contraception, pregnancy loss, abortion, prenatal care, infertility, HIV/STIs, and intimate partner violence. Our project aimed to inform efforts to improve undergraduate medical education.