Practice makes perfect

Nearly 40 students from Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine recently took part in a gynecology clinical skills workshop at Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak.

The first-time event was coordinated and hosted Sept. 10 by OUWB’s OB-GYN Interest Group (OGIG). It featured six stations covering different topics and skills.

Parisa Bastani is a second-year medical student who serves as gyn clinic volunteer coordinator on the OGIG executive board. She says the event drew inspiration from the student-run gynecology clinic held once a month at the Gary Burnstein Community Health Clinic in Pontiac.

Like the monthly clinic, the purpose of the event at Beaumont was to help newer medical students gain experience.

“There’s a lot of anxiety and nervousness about going into OB-GYN clerkships in general,” says Bastani.

“This event was to help people get more comfortable and more familiar with gynecology so they are more prepared and able to provide their knowledge when in clerkships or class.”

OGIG has about 120 members and describes itself as “an organization for all OUWB medical students that is dedicated to promoting interest and exposure to the field of Obstetrics and Gynecology and all of its sub-specialties.”

Among other things, the group holds regular meetings that include interactive panels consisting of OB/GYN attending physicians and residents. In addition, OGIG offers opportunities for hands-on clinical experiences.

Bastani says the hope is that the clinical skills workshop will be part of OGIG’s regular programs.

Held in the administration building at Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, the different stations helped students learn more about pelvic exams, taking an OB-GYN history, breast exams, sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing, vaccine counseling, ultrasounds, and more.

Beaumont residents and attendings volunteered to help third- and fourth-year medical students run each station.

Bastani said nearly 50 students signed up to participate in the workshop but only about half were allowed due to social distancing precautions in place due to COVID-19. (Another 10 students in attendance were helping run the stations.)

She called the workshop a “really fun opportunity and really exciting event” that led to a lot of positive feedback.

Emma Randall, a fourth-year medical student at OUWB, helped with one of the stations and called the workshop “an awesome opportunity to share with other students why I am passionate about the field.”

“Since I do not have the opportunity to interact with M1/M2 students very often, I really enjoyed meeting those that attended and getting to know more about what excites them about medicine,” said Randall.

She said her hope is that those who attended not only learned, but came out excited about the field.

Fourth-year medical student Stephanie Wong shared similar sentiments.

“It was amazing to have OB-GYN attendings and current residents come teach and share their experience and knowledge with the students, helping them learn skills that even M3 students may not have much experience or exposure with during their OB-GYN rotation, such as the ultrasound and IUD workshop stations,” she said.

“I hope that the clinical skills workshop got some students more excited about the field of obstetrics and gynecology and maybe even plant a seed of interest in pursuing OB-GYN as a specialty,” she added.