Obstetric medicine training: picking up where the licentiate in midwifery left off.

Obstetric medicine is the care of women with medical problems in pregnancy. Medical problems may predate or arise de novo in pregnancy. Some are common and some are dangerous. Both obstetricians and physicians recognise the need for greater numbers of appropriately trained clinicians to care for such women. There is a demand for such training, particularly from trainee obstetricians. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) and the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) agree that there is a need for more formalised training in maternal/obstetric medicine and they are working together to develop special interest training in maternal medicine. The training will be open to both obstetricians and physicians and include theoretical and practical components. The practical training will take place in centres with established medical obstetric clinics and will be tailored (with appropriate modules) to the amount of previous experience in medicine or obstetrics.