title: An educational workshop and student competency in pregnancy options counseling: a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We sought to determine the effect of a pregnancy options counseling workshop focusing on communication skills and ethics on medical student competency.
  
  
  METHODS
  This educational trial randomized 105 third-year students to performance of an objective structured clinical examination before or after participation in the workshop assessed by a blinded reviewer. The primary outcome variable was student-level global competency in options counseling; secondary outcomes included competency components of general communication.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Global competency was achieved by 36% of students in the preworkshop group and 50% in the postworkshop group (P = .16). Students who participated in the workshop demonstrated higher communication skills. Student ratings of objective structured clinical examination quality were 96-100% positive, with 80% reporting an increase in comfort with options counseling and 88% reporting increased comfort with communication skills.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Participation in a workshop focusing on conscientious refusal positively improved communication skills, but did not significantly impact students' competency in pregnancy options counseling.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA.
authors.forename: Carla S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Lupi
authors.forename: Aliye
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Runyan
authors.forename: Nicolette
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Schreiber
authors.forename: Jody
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Steinauer
authors.forename: Jema K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Turk
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence; D003376:Counseling / Q000193:education*; D004493:Education; D004501:Education, Medical / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011247:Pregnancy