A new interdisciplinary curriculum has been successfully implemented in internal medicine residency programs to enhance education about women's health, gender-affirming care, and health disparities. Led by Janet Henrik, MD, it was created by a collaborative team of faculty from a variety of disciplines, including internal medicine. Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences. Surgery; This curriculum consists of half-day modules on interrelated topics, with an emphasis on health equity and interactive learning.
The program has been conducted annually since 2015 with approximately 175 residents, and the effectiveness of the curriculum was evaluated using anonymous questionnaires. According to his 2022-2023 data, 90% of his 131 resident respondents felt well prepared to apply the skills they learned. A consistent trend of increasing material comfort has been observed over the past few years. The curriculum was particularly praised for its interactive teaching methods and direct learning experiences from community members and peers.
This innovative educational approach has proven effective in increasing population learning and readiness. The team hopes this success can be replicated in other medical training programs to address important issues in women- and gender-affirming care education and promote an equitable healthcare environment.
For more information, see It Takes a Village: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Preparing Internal Medicine Residents to Care for Patients at the Intersection of Women's Health, Gender-Affirming Care, and Health Disparities. women's health journal.
Henrich JB, Richman I, Rabin TL, Gierlissen KA, Dondo M, Canary JX, Hirschman AF, Windham MR, Maya S, McNamara C, Pacey S, Bernstein P, Smith R, Vasquez L. It takes a village: interdisciplinarity. To prepare internal medicine residents to care for patients at the intersection of women's health, gender-affirming care, and health disparities. J Women's Health (Larch). 2024 Feb;33(2):152-162. doi: 10.1089/jwh.2023.0217. Epub 2024 January 8. PMID: 38190490.
