TY - JOUR
T1 - Fertility Knowledge and Educational Experiences of Graduating Medical Students
T2 - A Multi-Institution Survey
AU - Hunt, Kelby N.
AU - Kelly, Amelia G.
AU - Faubion, Laura
AU - Melikian, Ryan
AU - Pearson, Claire
AU - Plowden, Torie C.
AU - Files, Julia A.
AU - Chamorro Dauer, Laura V.
AU - Marshall, Ariela L.
AU - Blakemore, Jennifer K.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.
PY - 2024/8/1
Y1 - 2024/8/1
N2 - Objective: Our goal was to assess the fertility knowledge and educational experiences of graduating U.S. medical students to evaluate areas of improvement for future educational interventions. Design: Web-based cross-sectional survey. Subjects: Medical students graduating in 2023 from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine (SOM), New York University (NYU) Grossman SOM, Wayne State University SOM, Perelman SOM at the University of Pennsylvania, and Mayo Clinic Alix SOM. Main Outcome Measures: Fertility-related knowledge and educational experiences of U.S. medical students in their final year of school. Results: In total, 117 students (14.4%) completed the survey. The average knowledge score was 78%. Twenty-three (22%) overestimated the age of most precipitous fertility decline, and 50 (52%) overestimated the chance of getting pregnant for a 40-year-old person with ovaries. One-third of students (30, 32%) incorrectly believe that physicians have equivalent infertility rates to the general population. Students were less cognizant of male fertility issues, incorrectly believing there was no negative impact on male fertility by age (43, 42%) among other factors. Seventy-five (81%) reported less than 5 hours of fertility-related education in medical school. Only one-third (32%) were satisfied or very satisfied with the fertility education they received. In an open-response question, students expressed interest in additional education on transgender and cancer patient care, fertility preservation, assisted reproductive technologies, and reproductive life planning in medicine. Conclusions: There is a need and an opportunity for medical education programs to enhance fertility education. Giving students and trainees the knowledge required to make informed decisions for their family-building purposes and improving their ability to counsel patients adequately should be a goal of future educational endeavors. The data collected in this study will serve as a guide for the development of fertility-related learning modules for medical students and trainees.
AB - Objective: Our goal was to assess the fertility knowledge and educational experiences of graduating U.S. medical students to evaluate areas of improvement for future educational interventions. Design: Web-based cross-sectional survey. Subjects: Medical students graduating in 2023 from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine (SOM), New York University (NYU) Grossman SOM, Wayne State University SOM, Perelman SOM at the University of Pennsylvania, and Mayo Clinic Alix SOM. Main Outcome Measures: Fertility-related knowledge and educational experiences of U.S. medical students in their final year of school. Results: In total, 117 students (14.4%) completed the survey. The average knowledge score was 78%. Twenty-three (22%) overestimated the age of most precipitous fertility decline, and 50 (52%) overestimated the chance of getting pregnant for a 40-year-old person with ovaries. One-third of students (30, 32%) incorrectly believe that physicians have equivalent infertility rates to the general population. Students were less cognizant of male fertility issues, incorrectly believing there was no negative impact on male fertility by age (43, 42%) among other factors. Seventy-five (81%) reported less than 5 hours of fertility-related education in medical school. Only one-third (32%) were satisfied or very satisfied with the fertility education they received. In an open-response question, students expressed interest in additional education on transgender and cancer patient care, fertility preservation, assisted reproductive technologies, and reproductive life planning in medicine. Conclusions: There is a need and an opportunity for medical education programs to enhance fertility education. Giving students and trainees the knowledge required to make informed decisions for their family-building purposes and improving their ability to counsel patients adequately should be a goal of future educational endeavors. The data collected in this study will serve as a guide for the development of fertility-related learning modules for medical students and trainees.
KW - academic medicine
KW - fertility
KW - medical education
KW - physician fertility
KW - reproductive life planning
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85190470372&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85190470372&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1089/jwh.2023.1016
DO - 10.1089/jwh.2023.1016
M3 - Article
C2 - 38578025
AN - SCOPUS:85190470372
SN - 1540-9996
VL - 33
SP - 1095
EP - 1101
JO - Journal of Women's Health
JF - Journal of Women's Health
IS - 8
ER -
