a bill<\/a> that will prevent University of Wisconsin OB-GYN residents from learning about pregnancy termination procedures, a part of the curriculum that is required by the Accreditation Counsel for Graduate Medical Education. But contrary to what Republicans around the state will have you believe, these procedures are not used solely for abortions. Miscarriages later in pregnancy can threaten the mother\u2019s life and require surgical intervention. Without receiving all the necessary training, the Counsel will rightfully deem the residents in UW\u2019s program to be not fully prepared to practice medicine.<\/p>\nOr in other words, congrats, future graduates \u2014 you could spend years of your life in a grueling residency that means about as much as a medical degree from Trump University.<\/p>\n
This is a particularly big deal for Wisconsin, a state that has worked tirelessly to decrease its high infant mortality rate for decades. In the last 25 years, infant deaths have dropped by a third, but this legislation could potentially roll back those gains, and quickly. Doctors in the state are already overstretched, and 29 of the state\u2019s 72 counties have only one OB-GYN or none at all. Training doctors in Wisconsin is the best chance we have at retaining providers long-term; recruiting doctors from out of state is much more difficult.<\/span>\n