An Assessment of Business of Medicine Knowledge in Obstetrics and Gynecology Fellows: A Pilot Study.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To identify knowledge gaps in business education among obstetrics and gynecology fellows.

METHODS: An online anonymous survey was distributed to obstetrics and gynecology subspecialty fellows including pediatric and adolescent gynecology (PAG), minimally invasive gynecological surgery (MIGS), and reproductive endocrinology and infertility (REI) fellows.

RESULTS: Of the 483 fellows who received the questionnaire, 159 surveys were completed resulting in a response rate of 32.9%. A total of 80 REI fellows (50.3%), 47 MIGS fellows (29.6%), and 32 PAG (20.1%) fellows completed the survey. Over half reported debt from either undergraduate or medical school (52.2%). Over half (58.5%) reported zero hours of finance education in their residency or fellowship training. In general, fellows reported relatively higher levels of confidence in non-medical aspects of business, such as purchasing a home (63.9%), life and disability insurance (57.2%), and making financial plans for the future (57.9%). Conversely, a large portion of fellows reported feeling "not at all confident" in business topics related to the field of medicine, including contract negotiation (24.7%), non-competes (27.1%), relative value units (RVU)-system based pay (32.0%), general office practice management (58.2%), legal aspects of business (71.8%), accounting and billing (54.4%), and marketing (55.7%).

CONCLUSIONS: Our survey demonstrates an unmet demand amongst Ob/Gyn fellows to learn topics related to the business of medicine. Knowledge of these topics is critical for those pursuing private practice or academic medicine. Future initiatives should evaluate other subspecialties and prioritize creating a standardized education tool to better prepare trainees entering medical practice.