A women's health curriculum for an internal medicine residency

This women's health curriculum was developed as a specialized track within the internal medicine residency at Michigan State University/Kalamazoo Center for Medical Studies. It is designed to provide the knowledge, attitudes, and skills needed to deliver care to women and to foster interest in women's health research. Specific objectives include: 1. Management of conditions unique to or more common in women or for which there are differences in diagnosis and treatment. 2. Ability to take an appropriate history and perform a complete, sensitive, and comfortable exam. 3. Knowledge of factors determining women's wellness and disease prevention an drecognition of psychosocial, economic, and violence factors influencing women's health. 4. Knowledge of reproductive choices to counsel patients regarding personal choice. 5. Promotion of the patient-practitioner partnership in clinical decision making and education. 6. Critical evaluation of new research data and its impact on women's health care. The knowledge, skills, and attitudes of residents completing this track will b e compared tothose in the traditional program. If successful, this model will be used to train residents in other specialty areas, as well as medical students and other health care professionals in our community.