Among the immediate impacts of the Dobbs v. Jackson decision on the American health care landscape are profound challenges for the educational and training ecosystem for physicians, particularly those entering obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN), who represent a significant proportion of physicians providing family planning and abortion services. Family planning, contraception counseling and abortion services are required elements of OB/GYN residency curricula and training programs accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), the national accrediting body for all graduate medical education programs in the United States.

State limitations or bans on abortion services resulting from Dobbs complicate the ability of residency programs to meet their accreditation requirements and to graduate fully trained OB/GYN physicians. The compounded impacts on undergraduate medical school education and graduate residency training will undoubtedly create a long-term shock to the supply of OB/GYN physicians in the United States overall, not just for those who provide abortion services. With many parts of the nation facing physician shortages, the impact on access to all OB/GYN care in certain geographies could be catastrophic.

In a new white paper, Manatt Health describes the impact of Dobbs on medical schools and accredited OB/GYN residency programs. It also organizes the known consequences and open questions stemming from Dobbs and states’ actions to severely restrict or ban abortion, including the effect on the pipeline of physicians specializing in OB/GYN in the United States.

To read the full white paper, click here.