Only one-fifth of residents are in program with menopause medicine learning curriculum
FRIDAY, May 10 (HealthDay News) -- Formal menopause medicine training is inadequate in many American obstetrics and gynecology residency programs, according to a study published online April 29 in Menopause.
Mindy S. Christianson, M.D., from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, and colleagues surveyed 510 obstetrics and gynecology residents to investigate the current teaching of menopause medicine in American residency programs.
The researchers found that most residents reported limited knowledge and a desire to learn more about various aspects of menopause medicine, including the pathophysiology of menopause symptoms (67.1 percent); hormone and non-hormone therapy (68.1 and 79.0 percent, respectively); and bone health, cardiovascular disease, and metabolic syndrome (66.1, 71.7, and 69.5 percent, respectively). A large proportion of fourth-year residents also reported a need to learn more in those areas, although at lower rates. The preferred learning modality was supervised clinics (53.2 percent), followed by case presentations (22.2 percent), formal lectures (21.3 percent), small groups (14.7 percent), Web-based learning (7.8 percent), and independent reading (5.2 percent). About one-fifth (20.8 percent) of residents reported a formal menopause medicine learning curriculum in their residency program, while a defined menopause clinic was included in residency for 16.3 percent of respondents.
"The results of this survey suggest that current American obstetrics and gynecology residency training programs may not be meeting the educational goals for residents in menopause medicine," the authors write. "A curriculum would be beneficial for increasing knowledge and clinical experience in menopause issues."
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