Dobbs Revisited — Addressing Effects on Resident Training in Obstetrics and Gynecology

This perspective examines the significant disruptions in obstetrics and gynecology residency training following the 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision. In Wisconsin, immediate clinic closures and legal uncertainties led to the collapse of local abortion training. The authors recount how their program established an out of state partnership in Illinois to meet Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) requirements, despite financial, logistical, and emotional burdens. Residents experienced moral distress, loss of procedural skills, and a sense of inadequacy. The authors call for systemic support from academic institutions to safeguard reproductive health education and access in post Dobbs America.

This perspective examines the significant disruptions in obstetrics and gynecology residency training following the 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision. In Wisconsin, immediate clinic closures and legal uncertainties led to the collapse of local abortion training. The authors recount how their program established an out of state partnership in Illinois to meet Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) requirements, despite financial, logistical, and emotional burdens. Residents experienced moral distress, loss of procedural skills, and a sense of inadequacy. The authors call for systemic support from academic institutions to safeguard reproductive health education and access in post Dobbs America.