How is menopause taught in medical schools

Menopause education in medical schools has long been overlooked, leaving many doctors unprepared to address this universal stage of life. While hormonal changes impact nearly every system in the body—from sleep and mood to heart health and bone density—training often fails to connect these symptoms to menopause. Instead, students learn fragmented approaches: sleep issues go to sleep specialists, mood swings to psychiatrists, and irregular bleeding to gynecologists. This leaves patients navigating a maze of referrals without understanding the root cause[1].

A 2023 survey revealed a glaring gap: over 90% of OB/GYN residency program directors agreed trainees need standardized menopause education, yet fewer than a third actually provide it[1]. Without structured curricula, future doctors miss critical skills like counseling on hormone therapy risks or tailoring care for chronic conditions during menopause[2][5]. Some educators are pushing for change by emphasizing hormonal shifts as a potential cause when treating women in their 40s-50s[1], but progress remains slow.

Recent conferences like Stanford’s March 2025 event and Inova’s June 2025 program aim to fill this void by teaching providers how to manage symptoms holistically—addressing everything from genitourinary discomfort to cardiometabolic risks[2][5]. These efforts highlight growing recognition that menopause care requires more than symptom management; it demands understanding how hormones interact with aging bodies across diverse populations[5]. Until medical schools prioritize this training universally, many women will continue facing dismissive or uninformed care during one of life’s most transformative phases.