Integrating prevention into obstetrics/gynecology

Obstetricians and gynecologists play an important role in preventive medici ne. A great deal of obstetrics and gynecology is dependent on the principle s of preventive medicine, such as understanding populations, risk profiling , epidemiology, and statistics as they pertain to screening programs and pr evention. Thus, it is reasonable that an ob-gyn clerkship be an integral pa rt of a program to teach preventive medicine in a medical. school. This art icle presents information about formats used to teach preventive medicine i n ob-gyn, illustrated by specific programs at medical schools across the co untry. It also provides information about publications that are useful for designing and creating programs in introduce and/or integrate preventive me dicine into ob-gyn clerkships and other parts of the undergraduate medicine curriculum. Obstetricians and gynecologists spend the majority of their time in the off ice, and most of their patient visits can be classified as preventive medic ine visits. Medical students' education needs to reflect that focus, Among other things, ob-gyn must develop training directed to-ward students who do not intend to become obstetricians. A rotation in ob-gyn may be the only e xposure a student has to health care that is specifically for women. Theref ore, that clerkship must focus on preventive medicine fbr women as well as on treatment.