Perceptions of family planning and abortion education at a faith-based medical school.
BACKGROUND
Because of religious beliefs against contraception and abortion, family planning education is limited at faith-based institutions. The purpose of this study was to assess medical students' satisfaction with family planning education at a faith-based medical school.


METHODS
A self-administered anonymous questionnaire was designed and distributed to all second- and fourth-year students (n=273) at a faith-based medical school during the 2008-2009 academic year. The questionnaire included items on adequacy of and preference for amount and content of family planning preclinical education and clinical training.


RESULTS
A total of 220 students completed the questionnaire for a response rate of 80.6%. The majority of respondents described the preclinical education as inadequate and preferred increased content on contraception (73.9%), sterilization (68.6%) and abortion (65.2%). The majority of fourth-year students reported appropriate contraceptive clinical training (69.0%), but inadequate sterilization training (54.8%) and abortion training (71.4%) during their third-year OB/GYN clerkship. Approximately half of fourth-year students (51.8%) desired clinical abortion training.


CONCLUSIONS
The majority of students enrolled at a faith-based medical school rated their current family planning education as inadequate and desired additional opportunities.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA. Mg2852@columbia.edu
Maryam
M
Guiahi
Karla
K
Maguire
Zachary T
ZT
Ripp
Rachel W
RW
Goodman
Kimberly
K
Kenton
D000028:Abortion, Induced; D000328:Adult; D003267:Contraception; D003479:Curriculum; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate; D005193:Family Planning Services / Q000193:education*; D005260:Female; D016519:Hospitals, Religious; D006801:Humans; D007087:Illinois; D015397:Program Evaluation; D013337:Students, Medical; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult