Most OB/GYN residency programs in US lack dedicated menopause curriculum
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Key takeaways:
- Of 99 OB/GYN program directors, 31.3% reported having a menopause curriculum.
- Reported satisfaction with current menopause training and effectiveness in preparing trainees to manage menopausal patients was low.
Menopause education and resources vary across OB/GYN residency programs in the U.S., with most lacking a dedicated menopause curriculum, according to survey results published in Menopause.
“To date, there is not a standardized menopause curriculum that provides tools to enhance and assess resident competency during training,” Jennifer T. Allen, MD, NCMP, associate professor in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at Augusta University, and colleagues wrote. “Although several studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of different educational modalities, such as a dedicated menopause clinic, many residents do not have access to a menopause clinic, menopause expert or designated menopause curriculum at their institution.”
Allen and colleagues conducted an institutional web-based survey of 15 questions and electronically distributed it to 145 OB/GYN residency program directors in the U.S. from May to August 2022.
Overall, 68.3% of program directors responded to the survey. Most respondents (92.9%) strongly agreed that OB/GYN residents nationwide should have access to standardized menopause curriculums to utilize in their programs. Among respondents, 31.3% reported having a menopause curriculum in their OB/GYN residency program.
Of those with a menopause curriculum, 96.8% reported lectures, 77.4% reported assigned readings and 74.2% reported dedicated menopause clinics or other clinics with a high volume of menopausal women. Of all programs surveyed, 29.3% reported that trainees had dedicated time assigned to menopause clinics.
All OB/GYN programs with menopause curriculums reported five or fewer menopause lectures throughout the year, and 71% reported two or fewer lectures per year.
In addition, 83.8% of program directors agreed or strongly agreed that their OB/GYN programs needed more menopause educational resources, and 89.7% reported they were likely or very likely to use self-paced menopause modules that include performance feedback.
Overall, program director satisfaction with current OB/GYN menopause training programs was a mean 3.75 on a scale of 10 — with 10 indicating most satisfied — and their perceived effectiveness in preparing OB/GYN trainees to manage menopause beyond residency was a mean 3.83.
“This study suggests that, nationally, most training programs lack the curriculum necessary to effectively prepare residents to manage menopausal patients,” the researchers wrote. “An obvious need exists among programs to implement a well-developed standardized national menopause curriculum to equip OB/GYN trainees for future practice and care of menopausal patients.”