Women’s Health Themes Across the Undergraduate Medical Curriculum at the University of British Columbia

Abstract

ObjectiveThe overall objective of the project was to determine whether the current MD undergraduate curriculum at the University of British Columbia (UBC) met the minimum competencies in women’s health according to available guidelines. MethodsOvid and MEDLINE were searched for information on women’s health topics in medical undergraduate curricula. The Association of Professors of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (APOG) and the Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics (APGO) medical student objectives were used as a framework for evaluation of the UBC curriculum. The APGO women’s health care competencies for medical students were also compared with these objectives. A comprehensive review ouate of the medical curriculum at UBC was then carried out to analyze whether, when, and where the APOG and APGO objectives were met. ResultsOf the 93 women’s health competencies outlined by APGO, only two were not formally addressed in the UBC curriculum. Almost two thirds (60 of the 93) of the competencies are covered in the obstetrics and gynaecology third-year clerkship, which is just one of the 14 teaching settings available for potential coverage of the women’s health care competencies. ConclusionTopics in women’s health appear to be well addressed by the UBC medical undergraduate curriculum, although this review was unable to determine whether and how extensively these topics were actually delivered.