Purpose: To determine whether the APGO Statement on Teaching Pelvic Exams to Medical Students decreases the number of pelvic exams performed by medical students during their third year OBGYN clerkship.
Background: In 2019, APGO released a statement recommending that medical students perform pelvic exams, including in the operating room, only if “explicitly consented to.” This creates an added barrier to medical education and will likely impair teaching of pelvic exams, a crucial skill needed by our next generation of physicians.
Methods: Third and fourth year medical students at West Virginia University were surveyed about the number of pelvic exams performed during their third year OBGYN clerkship. Fourth year students completed their rotation prior to the release of the APGO statement, while third year students completed the rotation following its release. A Likert scale was used to determine the number of pelvic exams performed by students (0, 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, or >8).
Results: Prior to the APGO statement, 69.2% of medical students completed greater than eight pelvic exams during their third year OBGYN rotation, while only 26.7% of students did following its release.
Discussions: Release of the APGO statement led to a decrease in the number of pelvic exams performed by medical students during their third year OBGYN rotation compared to the previous year. This reduction in operative suite pelvic exams may impact future non-OBGYN physician competence in pelvic exam performance.
Topics: CREOG & APGO Annual Meeting, 2021, Student, Resident, Faculty, Clerkship Director, Medical Knowledge, Professionalism, GME, Assessment, Quality & Safety,
Emily Minor, PhD, West Virginia University School of Medicine; Mahreen Hashmi, MD
