An "Invaluable Skill": Reflections on Abortion Training and Postresidency Practice

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Family Medicine
• Reproductive Health

Background:

• Family medicine residency programs aim to equip graduates with comprehensive reproductive health skills.
• Abortion care training within family medicine is crucial for primary care providers.
• Understanding resident experiences is key to improving abortion care education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore family medicine residents' experiences with abortion training.
• To identify factors influencing residents' ability to provide abortion care.
• To uncover barriers and facilitators to integrating abortion services into primary care practice.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study utilizing individual recorded interviews with recent family medicine residency graduates.
• Participants were from an urban Northeast US program with an opt-out abortion curriculum.
• Data analysis employed the template analysis method for coding and interpretation.

Main Results:

• Residents reported increased confidence in options counseling but varied comfort levels with medication versus aspiration abortion.
• Medication abortion was associated with fewer emotional reactions and perceived logistical barriers compared to aspiration abortion.
• Despite agreement that abortion fits primary care, significant barriers limited post-graduation practice integration for many.

Conclusions:

• While abortion training enhances counseling skills, practical integration into family medicine practice faces numerous obstacles.
• Given fewer perceived barriers, residency programs might benefit from emphasizing medication abortion training.
• Addressing logistical and technical barriers is essential for increasing abortion care provision by family medicine physicians.