Can physicians be replaced with gynecological teaching women to train medical students in their first pelvic examination? A pilot study from Northern Sweden.
OBJECTIVE
The main objective was to gain a deeper understanding of how medical students perceive and experience learning from gynecological teaching women (GTW) instead of physicians in their first pelvic examination. A second aim was to describe how the women experience their roles as GTW.


METHODS
Data were collected from individual interviews with 24 medical students from a medical school in Sweden and with 5 GTW. Discourse analysis was performed to acquire a deeper understanding of the informants' experiences and to understand social interactions.


RESULTS
Five themes revealed in the medical students' experiences: "Hoping that anxiety will be replaced with security," "Meeting as equals creates a sense of calm," "Succeeding creates a sense of security for the future," "Wanting but not having the opportunity to learn more," and "Feeling relieved and grateful." One theme revealed in the GTW experiences: "Hoping to relate in a trustworthy way."


CONCLUSIONS
To replace physicians with GTW may facilitate the learning process and may also help medical students improve their communicative skills. Using GTW will hopefully further improve students' basic medical examination techniques and physician-patient relationships.


CONCLUSIONS
Since GTW seems to increase self-confidence and skills of medical students performing their first pelvic examination we recommend that the use of GTW is considered in the training of medical students.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sunderby Hospital, Norrbotten County Council, Luleå, Sweden. Electronic address: rose-marie.isaksson@nll.se.
Olov
O
Grankvist
Department of Education, Umeå University, Sweden.
Anders D
AD
Olofsson
Department of Research, Norrbotten County Council, Luleå, Sweden; Division of Nursing, Department of Medical and Health Sciences, Linköping University, Sweden.
Rose-Marie
RM
Isaksson
D000328:Adult; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003142:Communication; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate / Q000379:methods*; D004521:Educational Measurement; D005260:Female; D058869:Gynecological Examination / Q000379:methods*; D006176:Gynecology / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D007858:Learning; D008297:Male; D016544:Patient Simulation; D010820:Physicians; D010865:Pilot Projects; D018794:Problem-Based Learning; D036301:Qualitative Research; D013337:Students, Medical; D013548:Sweden; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods*
First pelvic examination; Gynecological teaching women; Medical education; Patient counseling