Professional Practice and Development. Abortion providers and medical students reflected on the Southern-specific contextual impacts pertaining to their professional practice and development. Issues of common interest amongst providers and medical students were scope of professional practice, the marginalization of abortion providers within medicine, competition between professional organizations, and limitations on financial gains. Scope of Medical Practice Many providers claimed that their involvement in abortion provision has negatively affected their opportunities to engage in full scale obstetrics and gynecological services or other medical practice. Commenting that they often were forced to choose between providing abortions and other medical services, the providers stated their scope of practice was limited in the South. They explained that often organizations, in the interest of not engaging in abortion politics, were not open to hiring abortion providers even if just for family care or gynecological services. One provider told a story of having been hired by an institution with – “..contract that said I could do whatever I wanted outside of my work hours. But when protestors made a public show of their views, [hospital] told me I needed to choose between my job and the abortions, and I was terminated the next day.” – Abortion Provider Even the medical students expressed this concern with practicing in the South despite not yet having directly experienced it. Said a medical student from Tennessee – “Abortion is just one part of women’s health and it is ridiculous that providers get pigeon-holed because institutions refuse to recognize that.” – Medical Student All eight medical students also spoke to the disincentive that a limited scope of practice presents for individuals considering the South as a future place to work. “What’s appealing about a place where you face constant pushback and also can’t actually practice the way you want?” posited one medical student. Limitations to the scope of medical practice for abortion providers include not being able to engage in full scale obstetrics and gynecological services, or being forced to either only provide abortions or not provide abortions at all in their practice. These challenges negatively impact the professional development and satisfaction of providers, and as a result have implications for the recruitment and retention of providers to the South. Marginalization of Abortion Providers within Medicine All of the providers interviewed f...
