These days we often talk about the gender health gap as a problem of data and research. But in 2026, the industry is hitting a much more immediate, human wall: a clinical capacity crisis.
While patient demand for specialized care is rising, the traditional medical education system is still moving at a glacial pace. We are currently facing a projected shortage of up to 86,000 physicians by 2036. For clinicians, the lack of specialized training in areas like menopause, fertility, and pelvic health - topics often relegated to elective study - makes it nearly impossible to meet the moment in women’s health.
Two years ago, we began tracking "upskilling" as a resourceful workaround for growth companies. Today, it seems to have matured into a fundamental piece of the industry's infrastructure and playbook. To scale, women's health companies are effectively building their own educational institutions, closing the gap between what providers learned in med school and what their patients actually need.
Building Capacity From Within
It seems many successful scale-ups have realized they cannot simply recruit their way out of a workforce shortage. Instead, they are moving toward internal clinical professional development programs to upskill, support and retain the teams they hire.
We see this for example with Kindbody, who pioneered this approach. Growth in the fertility sector has long been limited by the small pool of specialists. Through their KindInstitute, they are training board-certified OB/GYNs in reproductive techniques and cycle management. By expanding the circle of providers who can deliver high-level care, Kindbody ensures their growth isn't held back by a finite specialist pool.
Similarly, Midi Health is addressing the residency gap head-on. Since most medical residents receive limited menopause training, Midi University acts as a clinical "boot camp" for providers. It equips clinicians with specialized knowledge in HRT and metabolic health - the kind of evidence-based expertise that is often missing from traditional primary care.
At Origin, the focus is on creating a specialized career path for physical therapists. Pelvic floor PT has traditionally been a niche, self-funded certification. By launching Origin University and partnering with over 50 PT schools, Origin is subsidizing the professional development of its own workforce, turning a "niche" into a scalable standard of care.
But this shift isn't just about internal hiring; it’s also about raising the standard for the broader ecosystem. Perry Academy recently launched an accredited platform to train healthcare professionals in perimenopause care. By offering CME-certified modules and a "Perry-Certified Directory," they are connecting these trained professionals directly with their community - effectively turning education into a referral engine.
A particularly interesting data point emerged just a few days ago with a new partnership between Axia Women’s Health and Rutgers School of Nursing. By embedding nurse-midwifery students directly into Axia’s locations for clinical rotations, a large health network is creating a direct bridge to an academic institution. It’s a sign that even large integrated networks are recognizing the need to take a proactive role in the training pipeline before providers even graduate.
The Bottom Line
In 2026, the "Women’s Health University" seems to have become the logical response to a difficult recruitment market. The winners in our ecosystem are the ones who have accepted that systemic change in medical school curricula isn't happening fast enough to meet current demand and have stepped in with their own educational offers.
As clinical operations continue to mature, we will likely see this model adopted by more and more later-stage companies as they look to standardize care and expand their reach. An indicator that the fastest-growing companies have stopped waiting for the system to catch up and have instead built the supportive institutions to replace its gaps.
