ABORTION TRAINING POST-DOBBS — Abortion access has all but disappeared in much of the country since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, and so has training for doctors performing the procedure. Many medical residents across the country working in states with bans are traveling to blue states for a crash course in abortion training — most of them OB-GYN residents who must have that experience but can’t get it at home, and others who have chosen to pursue it in addition to their required medical training. There is considerable agreement among leading medical groups, including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Association of American Medical Colleges, that the overturning of Roe has adversely affected medical education beyond abortion. POLITICO’s Alice Miranda Ollstein followed one doctor specializing in internal medicine and pediatrics who spent two years finding a clinic that would teach her to perform the procedure after her state implemented restrictions post-Dobbs that significantly reduced access to the training. Because abortions and miscarriages often require identical drugs and surgical procedures, she worried that failing to obtain the training would leave her unprepared to treat pregnancy complications and obstetric emergencies. “It felt like a moral imperative,” she said. The search: It took the doctor years to find, apply for and obtain grants and scholarships to pay for the month-long crash course she eventually took in Delaware, where the state’s Planned Parenthood affiliate provided hands-on instruction. POLITICO granted her anonymity because of her fear of professional repercussions and the threat of physical violence for seeking abortion training. The travel, living arrangements, malpractice insurance and other costs came to nearly $8,000. In April, she set off to Delaware, feeling as if she were entering a “political minefield” with no room for error. For most of the first week there, the doctor mainly watched other doctors perform the procedure and was struck by how safe and straightforward it seemed, given how hard the training was to obtain. “I’ve placed giant central intravenous catheters in the veins of people’s necks using an ultrasound, where there is a risk of puncture or collapsing a lung,” she said. “Although training is required, abortion seems much less technically complex.” By the end, she assisted in about a dozen surgical abortions and dispensed several dozen medication abortions — enough to give her a solid base of skills to build on in the future but not enough to reach full competency. When she returned home, the doctor gave a presentation about her experience to her fellow residents and encouraged them to pursue out-of-state abortion training. So far, none have taken her up on it. WELCOME TO FRIDAY PULSE. It’s never too early: Are you hearing any presidential transition rumblings? We want to hear from you. Send your tips, scoops and feedback to bleonard@politico.com and ccirruzzo@politico.com and follow along @_BenLeonard_ and @ChelseaCirruzzo.
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