UMEC Column: Be Involved, Be Inspired, BE INNOVATIVE
By Jodi F. Abbott, MD, Boston University School of Medicine, Samantha D. Buery-Joyner, MD, VCU School of Medicine, Inova Campus, David A. Forstein, DO, Greenville Hospital System, and the 2014-2016 APGO Undergraduate Medical Education Committee (UMEC).
As surely as the leaves will change color, our clerkship students will be falling in love with ob-gyn. But, will it be just a passing intoxication after the euphoric experience of surgery to save a life (Stat CSxn? Ruptured ectopic?) or will it develop into that day-in, day-out dedication to improving women’s health?
Do you have a curriculum and resources in place for students in years 1-3 who are interested in ob-gyn? There are a number of APGO resources to help. First, consider having an “ob-gyn as a career” section of your course or department website. Make sure you have links available to the Student Resources section of the APGO website. You can also download or print out the Comprehensive Women’s Health Care: A Career in Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Here are some activities to consider offering to engage preclinical students:
- Have a careers in ob-gyn panel (academic and community, as well as specialties)
- Offer observer sessions in the operating room and labor floor (during clerkship vacation weeks or intersessions)
- Use the new APGO resource “Clinical Care in Low-Resource Settings.” Send out information to interested students and then have your faculty or residents help facilitate a session on opportunities locally and globally for underserved women.
What innovations have you added to help students discover their love of women’s health? Share your experiences in the comments section.