viewpoint of a Gynaecological Teaching Associate from Canada
Rapid response to:
Education And Debate
The ethics of intimate examinations—teaching tomorrow's doctorsCommentary: Respecting the patient's integrity is the keyCommentary: Teaching pelvic examination—putting the patient first
viewpoint of a Gynaecological Teaching Associate from Canada
I must first state I was unable to access any of the previous "Rapid
Responses" so don't know if this has been commented on already; but I read
with interest the note that "Australia, the United States and the
Netherlands" already have intimate exams formally taught, and wanted to
add that Canada does, too.
I am a Gynaecological Teaching Associate (GTA) for Queen's University
in Kingston, Canada. The women in this programme are all lay people who
have been trained to instruct third-year medical students in conducting
pelvic exams. A friend who knows I do this work, directed me to this
article, which I read with interest and some concern. In our programme, we
have fairly consistently informed our students that the pelvic exam USED
TO be taught on anaesthetised patients and/or rubber dummies. I was
horrified to discover that this practice continues.
Perhaps my position as a GTA means I do have a competing interest, so
I was unsure how to declare that; but I wanted to say that, having been
trained to deliver this programme, I can't understand why not all teaching
hospitals use it. Developed in Boston, Massachusetts in the 1970s by a
women's collective who were concerned with health issues, it is extremely
sensitive to the needs of female patients - not just physical, though that
is a component, but also psychological. The aim of the program is to teach
future doctors a women-approved method for conducting pelvic exams.
The feedback we have had on the programme is extremely positive.
Students consistently comment on the high level of comfort they felt in
working with the GTAs and the increased confidence they felt at the
conclusion of the lesson; many also praise the GTAs for their useful
guidance and feedback throughout the session.
Just on a purely personal note, I find this work hugely satisfying,
because I can see what a difference it is making to the students I myself
get to work with. It is plain to me that they find these sessions to be an
enormous benefit. They get guidance and feedback from a live, conscious,
consenting adult female who is trained in this particular exam and who is
relaxed and comfortable with her own body.
Rapid Response:
viewpoint of a Gynaecological Teaching Associate from Canada
I must first state I was unable to access any of the previous "Rapid
Responses" so don't know if this has been commented on already; but I read
with interest the note that "Australia, the United States and the
Netherlands" already have intimate exams formally taught, and wanted to
add that Canada does, too.
I am a Gynaecological Teaching Associate (GTA) for Queen's University
in Kingston, Canada. The women in this programme are all lay people who
have been trained to instruct third-year medical students in conducting
pelvic exams. A friend who knows I do this work, directed me to this
article, which I read with interest and some concern. In our programme, we
have fairly consistently informed our students that the pelvic exam USED
TO be taught on anaesthetised patients and/or rubber dummies. I was
horrified to discover that this practice continues.
Perhaps my position as a GTA means I do have a competing interest, so
I was unsure how to declare that; but I wanted to say that, having been
trained to deliver this programme, I can't understand why not all teaching
hospitals use it. Developed in Boston, Massachusetts in the 1970s by a
women's collective who were concerned with health issues, it is extremely
sensitive to the needs of female patients - not just physical, though that
is a component, but also psychological. The aim of the program is to teach
future doctors a women-approved method for conducting pelvic exams.
The feedback we have had on the programme is extremely positive.
Students consistently comment on the high level of comfort they felt in
working with the GTAs and the increased confidence they felt at the
conclusion of the lesson; many also praise the GTAs for their useful
guidance and feedback throughout the session.
Just on a purely personal note, I find this work hugely satisfying,
because I can see what a difference it is making to the students I myself
get to work with. It is plain to me that they find these sessions to be an
enormous benefit. They get guidance and feedback from a live, conscious,
consenting adult female who is trained in this particular exam and who is
relaxed and comfortable with her own body.
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests