Consent for the Pelvic Examination Under Anesthesia by Medical Students: Recommendations by the Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics.

The pelvic examination is a critical tool for the diagnosis of women's health conditions and remains an important skill necessary for students to master before becoming physicians. Recently, concerns regarding student involvement in pelvic examinations-specifically those performed while a woman is under anesthesia-have been raised in the scientific, professional, and lay literature. These concerns have led to calls to limit or halt the performance of pelvic examinations by students while a woman is under anesthesia. Although ensuring adequate informed consent for teaching pelvic examinations is a priority, we must not lose sight of the critical pedagogical value of teaching pelvic examination in familiarizing students with the female anatomy and instilling a physician workforce with confidence in pelvic examination skills. A compromise that addresses all of these values is possible. In this commentary, we review the educational and legal aspects of the pelvic examination under anesthesia, then provide strategies that individuals and institutions can consider to optimize processes regarding consent for pelvic examination under anesthesia.

Effect of Balint training on resident professionalism.

OBJECTIVE: The study was designed to assess the impact of 6 months of Balint training on self- and faculty-assessed measures of professionalism in obstetrics and gynecology residents. STUDY DESIGN: Pre- and post-Balint training resident self-assessment and pre- and post-training faculty assessment using standard professionalism instruments were used to compare the resident Balint group to the group that did not participate. Participating residents also completed a qualitative assessment of the experience. RESULTS: Residents who participated were enthusiastic regarding the value of Balint in promoting self-reflection and gaining insight into self- and patient-care issues, both key components of professionalism. There were no significant differences in self or faculty assessment of professionalism between residents who participated in Balint and those who did not. CONCLUSION: Six months of Balint training was successful in providing resident education in professionalism, measured by resident self-report. No differences were detected on 2 measures of professionalism between the training and control groups.