Training of academic staff in obstetrics and gynaecology in the USA

As we enter a new century and millennium, departments of obstetrics and gynaecology in American medical schools face a number of challenges. Of primary concern among these is the relative dearth of physician–scientists to explore and connect the basic mechanisms and clinical aspects of the diseases of women. This report reviews some aspects of three programmes designed to educate such investigators: The Reproductive Scientist Development Program, The American Gynecological and Obstetrical Society–American Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Foundation Fellowship Program and the Womenʹs Reproductive Health Research Career Development Centers. Based on a decade of experience with the first two of these programmes, the prospects for the relatively new third programme are promising. Nonetheless, the need for and opportunities for obstetrician–gynaecologist reproductive scientists far exceed the supply.