APGO

Jeannie C. Kelly, MD Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA

Ashley T. Peterson, MD , Tanaz R. Ferzandi, MD

Study Objective: Abortion remains a controversial subject in the United States, even among medical professionals. At our affiliated university medical school, students experience a wide range of exposure to abortion providers and services during their third year OB/GYN clerkship experience. We aim to assess the attitudes and clinical experience of our medical students and determine whether exposure to abortion providers during their third year clerkship had a significant impact on altering their beliefs regarding abortion. Methods: All students who completed the OB/GYN core clerkship at our affiliated university medical school between June 2012 and July 2013 were invited to complete a retrospective, anonymous online survey. They were surveyed about their exposure to abortion during their clerkship rotations, and questioned regarding their attitudes toward abortion before and after their OB/GYN rotation. The Fisher’s exact test was used to determine significant differences in their responses.

Results: 94 students were surveyed. During their OB/GYN rotation, 52 students (55%) were exposed to options and contraceptive counseling, 52 students (55%) were exposed to first trimester surgical termination, and 30 (32%) students were exposed to second trimester surgical termination. 59 students (63%) reported working with an abortion provider during their OB/GYN clerkship and 35 students (37%) did not. There was no significant difference in terms of age, gender, ethnicity, or religion between the students who reported having worked with an abortion provider compared with those who did not report working with a provider. Prior to their OB/GYN clerkship, there is no difference between the two groups in terms of how comfortable they are referring their future patients to abortion providers. After their OB/GYN rotation, a significant number of students who were exposed to abortion providers felt comfortable referring their patients to abortion providers, compared to those who were not exposed to providers (59 students, 100% versus 30 students, 86%; p=0.006). A significant number of medical students who worked with abortion providers (11 students, 19%; p=0.004) believed that their views on abortion "significantly changed" after their clerkship, and of those students, 100% are more comfortable with abortion as a topic. Notably, of those who did not work with abortion providers, 0% changed their beliefs on abortion.

Conclusions: There is a wide range of medical student exposure to abortion services during the third year core OB/GYN clerkship at our affiliated university medical school. Exposure to abortion provision and services can have significant influence on medical student attitudes toward abortion and may alter their future patient care, even if they do not provide the service themselves. The impact of medical student exposure to abortion services during the third year OB/GYN clerkship experience should not be underestimated.