OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY RESIDENCIES - EDUCATION IN PREVENTIVE AND PRIMARY HEALTH-CARE FOR WOMEN

Objective: To test the hypothesis that the Residency Review Committee program requirements for obstetrics and gynecology residencies, when p roperly followed, will result in residents being educated in preventiv e and primary ambulatory health care for women during their residency training program as specialists in obstetrics and gynecology. Methods: The 60 requisite residency training competencies identified as essent ial to educate generalist physicians, and viewed by some educators as a benchmarking standard, each were evaluated to determine whether resi dents in obstetrics and gynecology are now being educated in each of t hese areas. The answer was considered affirmative if any of the follow ing pertained: 1) the Residency Review Committee program requirements indicate that the competency ''must'' or ''should'' be taught, 2) the Residency Review Committee requests numerical verification related to the competency on the accreditation review application, or 3) by virtu e of a specific rotation required by the Residency Review Committee it can be assumed that the resident will be educated in the competency. To make our assessment, we identified and listed the section of the Re sidency Review Committee for Obstetrics-Gynecology program requirement s, which, when properly followed, would result in education in the par ticular competency. Results: Fifty-seven of the 60 competencies were c onsidered applicable to obstetrician-gynecologists (care of infants, c are of children, and infant/child preventive care were not), and resid ents in obstetrics and gynecology were found to be educated in 54 (95% ). Conclusion: During their residency training programs as specialists in obstetrics and gynecology, residents are being educated to be able to be providers of preventive and ambulatory primary health care for women. (C) 1998 by The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecolog ists.).