Current practices in obstetrics and gynecology transition to residency courses: graduates’ perspectives on activities, topics, and overall educational benefit

Transition to residency (TTR) courses are increasingly implemented in U.S. medical schools and result in increased confidence among incoming residents (Acad Med J Assoc Am Med Coll 90:1324-1330, 2015, Acad Med 90:1116, 2015). There is limited literature describing TTR courses in Obstetrics and Gynecology (OBGYN). This study aimed to characterize the structure, content, and perceived benefit of OBGYN TTR courses.

An anonymous observational cross-sectional survey was distributed to all residents at 22 OBGYN residency programs between July and September 2024. The 36-item electronic questionnaire assessed residents’ participation in an OBGYN TTR course, and if so, its duration, structure, activities, topics, and use of competency-based assessments. Respondents rated the course and individual activities and topics using a 5-point Likert scale and identified the most important topics to include in a TTR course. Descriptive statistics and Kruskal–Wallis tests were used for analysis.

A total 121 of 552 residents (21.9%) responded to the survey, from the 22 programs to which the survey was sent. Residents represented 73 medical schools from all U.S. census regions. Nearly half of respondents (45.5%) reported receiving no OBGYN TTR course. Most were integrated within a general TTR course and spanned two weeks or less. The most common learning activities were didactic lectures (85%) and surgical skills lab (68%) with residents favoring ambulatory procedure, surgical, and ultrasound skills labs and obstetric simulations. There was a large overlap between topics residents perceived most important to include and those that are currently most utilized. These topics included suturing and knot tying (82%), normal obstetric care (40%), abdominal/pelvic anatomy (40%), and intrapartum care and conduct of normal labor (37%). Few respondents received competency-based assessments such as APGO’s PrepForRes quiz (19.1%) or a standardized handover (3.1%).

OBGYN TTR courses are inconsistently implemented across U.S. medical schools. Residents perceive greater educational value from experiential learning and from core clinical topics. These findings highlight opportunities to expand and standardize OBGYN TTR curricula, emphasize hands-on learning modalities, and incorporate milestone-based assessments to better prepare graduates for the transition to residency.