Electives in obstetric/gynecology residencies. Evidence of flexibility.

OBJECTIVE

To describe the patterns of electives in obstetric and gynecology (OB/GYN) residencies.

STUDY DESIGN

A cross-sectional survey of all 274 U.S. and Canadian residency directors assessed the type and number of electives offered by residency programs and correlated these with program characteristics. A separate survey evaluated resident satisfaction with electives at the University of Cincinnati (UC).

RESULTS

Electives were offered by 53.8% of U.S. programs (95% CI: 45.2, 60.4), and 92% of electives were offered in the third year. The median length was four weeks, and surgical experience was the most common type of elective. A larger proportion of Canadian programs offered electives, which were of longer duration. The proportion of programs reporting electives did not vary with city size, program size or location. Among 29 UC residents, 62% arranged an optional elective, 92% were satisfied with the experience, and 5 residents (28%) reported that electives influenced their career choice.

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of electives appears higher than listed in currently available directories, although lower than in other primary care residencies.