Illinois residency programs help Wisconsin OB-GYN residents get family planning training

Illinois OB-GYN residency programs are hosting Wisconsin residents to ensure comprehensive family planning education.

In Wisconsin, an 1849 state law makes it a felony for doctors to provide abortion except to save the life of a pregnant person. Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul has filed a lawsuit seeking to render the law unenforceable.

UW Health is working with the University of Chicago “to provide UW Health OB-GYN residents access to a family planning and abortion services educational rotation in that state,” according to a statement.

The Medical College of Wisconsin partnered with Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. Dr. Sloane York, an associate professor and the program director of the OB-GYN residency program at Rush University Medical Group, said Illinois’ increase in patients seeking abortion and the eagerness of MCW residents can benefit Rush.

“It’s been easy to integrate them into our clinic space,” York said. “It’s really valuable for our residents to hear the hurdles that (MCW) residents are going through.”

The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education requires all accredited OB-GYN graduate medical programs to offer or help students get clinical exposure to the provision of abortions, according to the requirements’ most recent revision. Residents with moral or religious objections do not have to participate.

– Elizabeth Casolo for Health News Illinois