The benefits of family planning training: a 10-year review of the Ryan Residency Training Program

ObjectiveThe objective was to determine the effect of routine, opt-out abortion and family planning training on clinical exposure to uterine evacuation, contraception and other gynecologic skills.MethodsData from the first 10 years of the Kenneth J. Ryan Residency Training Program in Abortion and Family Planning were analyzed. Pre- and postrotation surveys assessed residents’ experience with abortion, contraception and other gynecologic skills. Thirty-nine residency program director surveys were analyzed to assess benefits of the training from the educators’ perspective.ResultsA total of 491 residents completed both pre- and postrotation surveys. During the rotation, residents, including those who partially participated, gained significant exposure to all methods of first- and second-trimester termination and contraception care. Ninety-seven percent of Residency Program Directors reported that training improved resident competence in abortion and contraception care.ConclusionRoutine, opt-out training in abortion and family planning gives OB-GYN residents an opportunity to increase proficiency in patient counseling, contraception care, ultrasound and all aspects of uterine evacuation, regardless of level of participation.