Abortion Education for Medical Students in an Era of Increased Abortion Restrictions

Clin Obstet Gynecol. 2024 Sep 1;67(3):539-554. doi: 10.1097/GRF.0000000000000874. Epub 2024 May 30.

Abstract

Following the Supreme Court's decision in Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health in June 2022, many states restricted or banned abortion. Medical educators have focused on how this change impacts abortion training for residents, but schools must also adapt undergraduate medical education. Medical schools provide the foundation for future physicians' knowledge and attitudes on abortion. Comprehensive, high-quality abortion education for all medical students is essential for the future of abortion care. Here, we present how education champions can lead curricular improvements in abortion education in the preclinical, clerkship, and postclerkship phases of undergraduate medical education.

MeSH terms

  • Abortion, Induced* / education
  • Abortion, Induced* / legislation & jurisprudence
  • Abortion, Legal / education
  • Abortion, Legal / legislation & jurisprudence
  • Curriculum*
  • Education, Medical, Undergraduate* / methods
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Pregnancy
  • Students, Medical
  • United States