Objective: Training in trauma-informed care is not yet standard in undergraduate medical education, yet is critical to providing equitable care across populations. The Ob/Gyn clerkship provides clinical opportunities for medical students to apply a trauma-informed approach, particularly during prenatal care and on L&D. Birth doula and midwifery practices similarly prioritize birthing people’s psychological and emotional well-being, recognizing that one’s life experiences may affect interactions with healthcare providers.
Methods: Through the Ob/Gyn department, we developed an interprofessional curriculum using tenets of midwifery and doula care to teach trauma-informed care and labor support practices for all medical students beginning their Ob/Gyn clerkship.
Results: We are in the process of collecting outcome data from third year participants to assess how this session helped prepare them for their Ob/Gyn experience on labor and delivery, and if they have found the trauma-informed care approach to be helpful on subsequent clerkships. Anecdotally, we have heard that students feel more confident getting involved in the birthing process after attending this session.
Conclusion/ Discussion: Teaching trauma-informed care to medical students equips them with tools to address health care inequities as they become leaders in the clinical environment. It is impossible to know if a patient carries trauma, so this perspective should be brought to every encounter. Approaching care with this perspective is important regardless of medical specialty.
Topics: Faculty Development Seminar, 2023, Student, Resident, Faculty, Clerkship Director, Clerkship Coordinator, Osteopathic Faculty, Residency Director, Residency Coordinator, Patient Care, Professionalism, Interpersonal & Communication Skills, Practice-Based Learning & Improvement, GME, Team-Based Learning, Public Health, General Ob-Gyn,
Alexa Rosenthall, MS4; Erin Morris, MD; Martha Churchill, CNM
