Under pressure: Supporting academic faculty in demanding times.

Medical education has long relied upon the inherent rewards of teaching to secure necessary educators. In an era of increasing emphasis upon clinical productivity, the expectation of faculty engagement in medical education has been upended. In addition, the demands and stressors of modern medical education has contributed to the perceived cost of teaching by faculty.

Changes and challenges in the residency application process in obstetrics and gynecology.

Faculty career advisors who guide applicants applying to obstetrics and gynecology residency programs need updated information and resources, given the constant changes and challenges to the residency application process. Initial changes included standardization of the application timeline and interview processes. More recent changes included the utilization of a standardized letter of evaluation, initiation of program signaling, second look visit guidelines, and updated sections in the Electronic Residency Application Service.

Paving the Way for Medical Students: How Smooth Should the Road Be?

Clerkship directors must balance the mental wellbeing of their medical students with the demanding schedule that rotations in procedural specialties such as surgery and obstetrics and gynecology require. In this paper, the Undergraduate Medical Education Committee of the Association of Professors of Obstetrics and Gynecology argues the importance of maintaining adequate clinical exposure for learners. Involving students in overnight call provides additional clinical involvement, improved relationships with the clinical team, and a better perspective on specialist lifestyle.

Incidence of postpartum depression in low-income cannabis users with and without a history of depression.

While past research has linked cannabis use in pregnancy with a history of depression, sparse literature exists on cannabis use during pregnancy and postpartum depression (PPD). In this study, we aimed to better understand the association between PPD and cannabis use during pregnancy in those with and without a history of depression. This was a retrospective cohort study of patients who received prenatal care at a single institution between January 2017 and December 2019.

Strategies to Create a More Gender Identity Inclusive Learning Environment in Preclinical and Clinical Medical Education.

Recognition of the spectrum of gender identities has been a recent phenomenon in the medical profession. Over the past 20 years, medical literature related to gender identity diversity has increased several-fold, yet it more commonly addresses clinical care rather than aspects related to medical education. Medical educators continue to struggle with appropriate language and inclusive approaches when discussing gender-based aspects of medical education.

To the Point: optimizing the learning environment in labor and delivery.

The labor and delivery floor is a unique learning environment that poses challenges to teaching medical students, with a potentially detrimental effect on their evaluations of the obstetrics and gynecology clerkship. This article, from the "To the Point" series prepared by the Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics Undergraduate Medical Education Committee, offers specific suggestions for improving undergraduate medical education in obstetrics with attention to student preparation, faculty development, nonphysician staff involvement, and patient education. Optimizing the learning environment in labor and delivery would improve student experiences and perceptions of our specialty.

Best practices for teaching psychosomatic obstetrics and gynecology.

Psychosomatic obstetrics and gynecology (POG) encompasses a wide variety of topics. While specialists in this field agree that it is important for practicing clinicians to be familiar with psychosomatic issues related to women's health, there is no consensus about the best practices for teaching and assessing this knowledge, or even which are the topics that should be included. By examining existing literature on educational methodology, this paper aims to suggest best practices that are proven useful in teaching issues related to POG.

A Pilot Lifestyle Behavior Intervention for Overweight or Obese Pregnant Women: Results and Process Evaluation.

Introduction: This paper presents a pilot lifestyle behavior intervention effect on gestational weight gain and maternal and neonatal outcomes and intervention acceptability.

Materials And Methods: Overweight or obese pregnant participants (N = 70) were randomized to the intervention or usual care group. The 20-week intervention integrated Hope theory and goal-oriented episodic future thinking (GoEFT) to prevent excessive gestational weight gain through stress and emotion management, healthy eating, and physical activity.

Dietary Intake of Micronutrients and Essential Fatty Acids among Overweight or Obese Pregnant Women during Early Pregnancy.

Background: Dietary intake of micronutrients and essential fatty acids in overweight or obese pregnant women during early pregnancy is unknown. We investigated the proportion of pregnant women meeting recommendations for dietary intake of micronutrients and essential fatty acids and compared stress and depressive symptoms between those meeting and below recommendations.

Methods: Participants (N = 70) were overweight or obese pregnant women ≤16 weeks gestation.

Pilot Lifestyle Intervention Effect on Lifestyle Behaviors, Psychosocial Factors, and Affect.

Background: This paper presents results of a pilot intervention effect on lifestyle behaviors, psychosocial factors, and affect among overweight or obese pregnant women.

Methods: 70 participants were randomized to the intervention or usual care group. During the 20-week intervention, participants completed a weekly online intervention module and joined individual online health coaching.

The Dobbs Decision and Undergraduate Medical Education: The Unintended Consequences and Strategies to Optimize Reproductive Health and a Competent Workforce for the Future.

The June 2022 U.S. Supreme Court decision on Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health Organization resulted in state-specific differences in abortion care access across the country.

Mediation by Executive Functions in the Associations Between Perceived Stress, Prenatal Distress, Emotional Control, and Dietary Intake in Overweight or Obese Pregnant Women.

Background: The study explored potential mediation by executive functions (behavioral regulation index [BRI] and metacognition index [MI]) in association between perceived stress, prenatal distress, emotional control, and dietary intake (total calorie, total fat, added sugar, fruits, and vegetables).

Methods: 70 overweight or obese pregnant women completed validated online surveys and two 24-hour dietary recalls. Path analyses were performed.

Maternal depressive symptoms, sleep, and odds of spontaneous early birth: implications for racial inequities in birth outcomes.

Study Objectives: Delivery prior to full term affects 37% of US births, including ~400,000 preterm births (<37 weeks) and >1,000,000 early term births (37-38 weeks). Approximately 70% of cases of shortened gestation are spontaneous-without medically-indicated cause. Elucidation of modifiable behavioral factors would have considerable clinical impact.

"Pregnancy Brain": A Review of Cognitive Changes in Pregnancy and Postpartum.

Importance: The idea that pregnant women suffer from deficits in memory is widespread but poorly documented in obstetrical literature.

Objective: To review available psychology literature on the subject of cognitive changes in pregnancy in order to guide the prenatal care provider on how to counsel pregnant women.

Evidence Acquisition: An extensive review of PubMed and PsycINFO databases was conducted to gather and analyze relevant studies on cognitive changes in pregnancy.

Chaos and psychosocial health in low-income overweight or obese women.

Objective: Using baseline data from a community-based weight-gain prevention intervention study, the authors examined whether coping self-efficacy moderated the associations between chaotic home environment and psychosocial health (perceived psychosocial stress, depressive symptoms, and positive and negative affect) in low-income women who are overweight or obese.

Method: Participants ( = 740; = 28.06 ± 5.

Mediation by self-efficacy in the relation between social support and dietary intake in low-income postpartum women who were overweight or obese.

Purpose: Using baseline data from a prevention of weight gain intervention study, we investigated whether self-efficacy mediated the relations between social support and dietary intake of saturated fat, fast food, fruit and vegetable in low-income postpartum women who were overweight or obese.

Methods: Participants (N = 740) completed validated measures of self-reported social support, self-efficacy, and dietary intake of saturated fat, fast food, fruit and vegetable. We performed composite indicator structural equation modeling to test the mediation effect.

Sleep and weight loss in low-income overweight or obese postpartum women.

Background: We conducted secondary data analyses to examine the associations between sleep duration, sleep quality, sleep disturbance and ≥ 5% of weight loss in low-income overweight or obese postpartum women enrolled in a community-based lifestyle behavior intervention study aimed at prevention of weight gain.

Methods: Participants were recruited from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children in Michigan. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index was used to assess sleep duration, sleep quality, and sleep disturbance.

Female Sexual Health: Barriers to Optimal Outcomes and a Roadmap for Improved Patient-Clinician Communications.

Background: Although sexual health can be considered a vital sign for overall health, several barriers prevent women from receiving proper medical counseling, support, and/or care for their sexual health needs and concerns.

Methods: Experts in sexual health compiled research and experience on the impediments to women receiving adequate assessment and treatment for their sexual health. Specific solutions and a roadmap for overcoming such barriers and improving patient-clinician communication are presented.

Relationships between stress, demographics and dietary intake behaviours among low-income pregnant women with overweight or obesity.

Objective: To identify demographic risk factors associated with high stress and examine the relationships between levels of stress, demographics and dietary fat, fruit and vegetable intakes in low-income pregnant women with overweight or obesity.

Design: A cross-sectional study.

Setting: Participants were recruited from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children in Michigan, USA.

Consequences of Antepartum Depression.

To counsel women about risks and benefits of depression treatment during pregnancy, clinicians must appreciate the potential consequences of untreated depression on the mother and her unborn child. Many studies have demonstrated associations between untreated depression during pregnancy and a range of adverse outcomes, including low birth weight, preterm delivery, preeclampsia, emergent operative delivery, postpartum depression, and both cognitive and behavioral deficits in the child. Although most of these associations are marked by low odds ratios and a host of potential confounding issues, they collectively provide considerable rationale for identifying depression in pregnancy and offering treatment for mothers at risk.

Association between postpartum physical symptoms and mood.

Objective: Postpartum depression may be associated with higher levels of postpartum pain, but the association with discomfort in general is unclear. We sought to describe an association between postpartum mood disturbances and quantitatively measured physical symptoms at the time of the routine postpartum encounter.

Methods: We designed a novel quantitative measurement of postpartum symptoms, the Postpartum Symptom Inventory (PSI), to allow comparison to scores of postpartum mood.