Improving Medical Student Comfort and Competence in Performing Gynecological Exams: A Systematic Review

Abstract

PurposePerforming a gynecological exam is an essential skill for physicians. While interventions have been implemented to optimize how this skill is taught in medical school, it remains an area of concern and anxiety for many medical students. To date, a comprehensive assessment of these interventions has not been done. The authors conducted a systematic review of the literature on interventions that aim to improve medical student education on gynecological exams. MethodThe authors searched 6 databases (Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid EMBASE, EBSCO CINAHL Plus, Scopus, Web of Science Core Collection, and ERIC [Proquest]) from inception to August 4, 2020. Studies were included if they met the following criteria: focus on medical students, intervention with the purpose of teaching students to better perform gynecological exams, and reported outcomes/evaluation. Extracted data included study location, study design, sample size, details of the intervention and evaluation, and context of the pelvic exam. All outcomes were summarized descriptively; key outcomes were coded as subjective or objective assessments. ResultsThe search identified 5,792 studies; 50 met the inclusion criteria. The interventions described were diverse, with many controlled studies evaluating multiple methods of instruction. Gynecological teaching associates (GTAs), or professional patients, were the most common method of education. GTA-led teaching resulted in improvements in student confidence, competence, and communication skills. Physical adjuncts, or anatomic models and simulators, were the second most common category of intervention. Less resource-intensive interventions, such as self-directed learning packages, online training modules, and video clips, also demonstrated positive results in student comfort and competence. All studies highlighted the need for improved education on gynecological exams. ConclusionsThe literature included evaluations of numerous interventions for improving medical student comfort and competence in performing gynecological exams. GTA-led teaching may be the most impactful educational tool described, though less resource-intensive interventions can also be effective.

Student-led clinic cervical cancer screening—medical students’ views on progression of learning, quality of Pap smears and women´s experiences of the visit – a mixed methods study

“…One might speculate that the education of medical students sometimes is inhibited due to the non-tolerance of endangering patient safety, but this does not seem to be the case in the present study. The concept of the SLC-CCS is unique, considering that most of the practical education in pelvic examination for medical students is teacher-led [ 19 ]. The SLC-CCS gave the student the opportunity to develop their professional skills and reflect on their own emotions.…”