Thirteen states have enacted full abortion bans since the Supreme Court issued its decision on Dobbs v. The Women's Health Organization in June. Residency applications in those states have dropped — particularly in obstetrics and gynecology.
States with complete bans on abortion saw greater decreases in residency applications than those with gestational limits or no restrictions, a trend that carried across specialties, according to research from the American Academy of Medical Colleges published April 13. However, recent medical school graduates were particularly avoidant of OB-GYN residencies.
Obstetrics and gynecology applications had been on the rise nationwide before the Dobbs decision. In 2022, they saw a 4.6 percent increase in residency applicants — up from just 0.1 percent in 2021.
In 2023, OB-GYN applications dropped 5.2 percent, down nearly 10 percent from the prior year's gains.
States with total abortion bans saw a 10.5 percent decrease in OB-GYN resident applications — more than double the national average. States with gestational limits saw a 6.4 percent decrease and where abortion is legal, applications dropped 5.3 percent.
All OB-GYN residency positions were filled this year despite a drop in applicants, according to the AAMC.