Malpractice crisis blamed; Fewer U.S. seniors match to ob.gyn. residency slots: the fill rate for this group falls to 65.1%.(News)

Fewer U.S. medical students matched to ob.gyn. residency positions again this year, renewing concerns that the medical liability crisis is driving students away from the profession.

A total of 1,142 ob.gyn. positions were offered this year, 9 fewer than in 2003. Graduating seniors filled 1,066 of those positions, an overall fill rate of 93.3% that marks an increase of 2.1% from last year, according to statistics released by the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP).

The number of ob.gyn. residency slots filled by students graduating from U.S. medical schools dropped more dramatically, however. Only 743 U.S. seniors matched to ob.gyn. this year, 43 fewer than in 2003, and 219 fewer than in 1994. The fill rate for U.S. seniors fell again this year, to 65.1%.

The drop in U.S. seniors "is not unexpected," considering that medical students have major trepidations about the medical liability crisis, Dr. John M. Gibbons Jr., president of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, told this newspaper.

The medical liability premium crisis "has gone from number two to number one in terms of the most serious concern prompting people not to go into ob.gyn.," Dr. Gibbons said.

A recent professional liability survey of 2,185 ACOG fellows found that 1 in 7 have stopped practicing obstetrics because of the risk of liability claims, and more than 76% have had a medical liability claim against them. Half of surveyed fellows have been involved in a claim in the last 4 years.

Twenty-two percent of respondents said they decreased the number of high-risk obstetrics patients they would take, and 14% have stopped practicing obstetrics altogether. Fifteen percent decreased gynecologic surgical procedures, and 5% stopped doing major gynecologic surgery.