Women's perceptions of and experiences with medical student involvement in outpatient obstetric and gynecologic care in the United Arab Emirates.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the experiences, satisfaction, and comfort of women with medical student participation in outpatient care during obstetric and gynecology clerkships. A consecutive sample of 303 women who attended the clinic were interviewed before consultation; a structured questionnaire was used. Two hundred sixty-four women (87.1%) accepted student involvement; 158 women (59.8%) and 173 women (66.5%), respectively, preferred female students or preceptors. Comfort levels were significantly lower with male students or preceptors in all skills that were tested (P <.0001), particularly pelvic examination and the discussion of sexual problems. Acceptance was associated significantly with older age (P <.0001), higher parity (P <.0001), higher education (P =.002), husband's occupation (P =.006), obstetric consultation (P <.0001), previous teaching encounters (P =.0006), recognition of the students' roles (P =.004), and satisfaction with clinical service (P = 0.01). Reasons for nonacceptance (n = 39 women, 12.9%) were concern about privacy during examination (53.8%) or counseling (25.6%) and the extent of the students' involvement (20.5%). Most women agreed to participate in the teaching of obstetric and gynecologic skills to medical students.