A Standardized Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency Education Curriculum: Multi-Institutional Needs Assessment Survey

Olga Mutter,Stacey Jeronis,David Jaspan,Marisa Rose,Jordan Hylton

doi:10.3390/reprodmed1030015

Abstract

At the completion of training in obstetrics and gynecology (Ob/Gyn), residents are expected to have comprehensive knowledge of the field. However, there is no comprehensive Ob/Gyn residency education curriculum. We hypothesize that there is a need for a standardized curriculum. A needs assessment survey was administered to determine the current state of resident didactic education, the perceptions that Ob/Gyn residents, program directors (PDs), and assistant program directors (APDs) have regarding centralization and standardization of education, and the need for a standardized Ob/Gyn residency education curriculum. In 2019, a web-based survey was distributed to Ob/Gyn residents and program leadership from three institutions. The main outcomes were measured on a 5-pt Likert scale. A total of 50 (3 PDs, 5 APDs, and 42 residents) participants completed the survey with a response rate of 68% (50/73). Almost all (94%) participants agreed or strongly agreed that residents nationwide should have equal access to high-quality Ob/Gyn educational resources. Further, 92% agreed or strongly agreed that core Ob/Gyn resources should be centrally located. A majority, 76%, agreed or strongly agreed that there is a need for a national curriculum. This study demonstrates a perceived need for a centrally located, standardized Ob/Gyn residency education curriculum.

Highlights

At the completion of residency training in obstetrics and gynecology (Ob/Gyn), each resident is expected to have a comprehensive knowledge base of core Ob/Gyn topics sufficient for independent practice
In Ob/Gyn, while there are readily available educational resources created by various credible organizations including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), CREOG, and many others, they are not currently co-located, integrated, or structured into a format that can serve as a comprehensive curriculum for Ob/Gyn residency
100% responded that their residency program has a didactic education curriculum, defined as scheduled learning sessions, with or without associated readings

Summary

Introduction

At the completion of residency training in obstetrics and gynecology (Ob/Gyn), each resident is expected to have a comprehensive knowledge base of core Ob/Gyn topics sufficient for independent practice. A national resident assessment of knowledge is completed annually by the Council on Resident Education in Obstetrics and Gynecology (CREOG) In-Training Exam. As no standardized curriculum currently exists, each residency program develops its own didactic education curriculum, which requires a significant amount of time and effort and leads to variability in curriculum quality and content. This may lead to a wide range in resident and faculty satisfaction, resident performance on the annual CREOG and ABOG Exams, and clinical competency upon completion of residency training

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Discussion

Conclusion