THE MATERNITY CARE PRACTICE OF NAVY FAMILY-PRACTICE RESIDENCY GRADUATES WHILE ON ACTIVE-DUTY

Background and Objectives: Military family practice residency programs produce a high percentage of graduates who provide maternity care. Th is study will define the scope of maternity care practice for one mili tary family practice residency program's graduates while they were ser ving on active duty in the U.S. Navy, Methods: Two hundred eight survi ving graduates of the family practice residency at Naval Hospital, Jac ksonville, Florida, from 1971 to 1995 were surveyed by mail regarding their maternity care practice while on active duty. One hundred eighty -one (87%) responded to the survey, and the data were analyzed with de scriptive statistics. Findings: The vast majority of these Navy family practice residency graduates provided prenatal care (88.4%) and routi ne vaginal delivery services (85.1%) while on active duty. The majorit y repaired third-and fourth-degree perineal Lacerations and per-formed vacuum-or forceps-assisted vaginal delivery, Additionally, a signific ant minority provided more advanced maternity care services such as di lation and curettage, tubal ligation, and cesarean section, The overwh elming majority (97%) of these graduates felt that their residency edu cation had adequately prepared them to provide these maternity care se rvices while on active duty. Conclusions: During the past 25 years, Na vy residency-trained family physicians provided a wide range of matern ity care services while on active duty and felt that their Navy reside ncy training program had prepared them well to meet this responsibilit y.