Using the National Curriculum in Reproductive Psychiatry to Enhance and Standardize Fellowship Training

The National Curriculum in Reproductive Psychiatry (NCRP) is an evidence-based, peer-reviewed curriculum for psychiatry training. In 2021, the NCRP introduced a year-long, expert-led, standardized didactic series for consultation-liaison (CL) and reproductive psychiatry (RP) fellows across the USA (the NCRP Fellows Series). This study examines whether participation was associated with higher scores on a knowledge test and greater self-reported clinical preparedness.

Three cohorts of fellows participated annually in weekly virtual sessions from August to June 2021-2024, taught by NCRP faculty and guest experts utilizing core NCRP materials. Participants completed the same 29-question multiple-choice knowledge assessment and a Likert-scale preparedness questionnaire at course start (pre-test) and end (post-test).

Seventy-five fellows from 26 institutions (N = 35 CL, N = 40 RP) were included in analyses. There was a significant increase in post-test scores compared to pre-test across all participants (mean increase of 3.63 of 29 total points, p < 0.001). RP fellows scored significantly higher on the post-test compared to CL fellows, even after controlling for pre-test scores (mean difference = 2.02 points, p = 0.002). All participants reported a significant increase in self-rated preparedness to treat pregnant women with mental illness (p < 0.001).

The NCRP Fellows Series - an expert-led, standardized national didactic program - was associated with higher post-test knowledge scores and greater self-reported clinical preparedness. However, in the absence of a comparison group, changes over time may not be attributed to the program alone. Higher scores among RP fellows may suggest additional benefit from subspecialty clinical exposure during training.