Study highlights impact of abortion ruling on medical students

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - According to a new study, medical students are choosing to start their careers in states with less restrictive abortion laws.

The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) shows that states like Georgia that have severely limited abortion access have seen a 6.4% drop in OB-GYN residency applications this year.

Georgia needs more doctors, especially OB-GYNs. According to a March of Dimes report, roughly half of Georgia counties lack adequate OB-GYN services. Georgia faces one of the highest maternal mortality rates.

Emory University School of Medicine students Ariana Traub and Kellen Mermin-Bunnell wrestled with the decision themselves.

“I feel a real moral obligation to take care of patients who need help. If I were to do OB-GYN, I would feel like I was failing my patients if I were to train in a state where I couldn’t provide comprehensive healthcare. I would feel like I was giving up integrity as a physician,” said Mermin-Bunnell.

The pair worked on a study with researchers at other schools like Harvard University, the University of Michigan, and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York to see if a state’s rules for abortions are impacting where they choose to settle.

According to the study, nearly 60% of medical students would not apply to states with restrictive laws and more than 75% of those surveyed felt state abortion laws affected where they would apply for residency. Traub said the study found this was true for all medical students, regardless of their specialty-

“I want to get training in a state that has abortion care available,” said Traub.

Copyright 2023 WANF. All rights reserved.