Background: Delivering undergraduate obstetrics and gynaecology teaching to classes of increasing size in ways which will foster student interest in the discipline is becoming increasingly challenging. With major curriculum change implemented at Otago Medical School in 2008, we had the opportunity to rise to this challenge.
Aim: To assess an innovative obstetrics and gynaecology history-taking and examination skills unit, introduced to third-year medical students.
Method: A survey of medical students and pregnant women who participated in the unit.
Results: There was a 92% response rate from students and a 73% response from the pregnant women who took part. Overall feedback was positive from both groups, with the unit being highly rated across a number of parameters.
Conclusion: Despite increasing limitations on staffing, obstetric clinical skills can be taught to large class sizes with close contact between students and specialists, safely incorporating the use of 'real patients'. Students are very positive about this exposure to O&G, and we hope that this may result in increased student confidence and interest in O&G, with a subsequent improvement in recruitment.
© 2012 The Authors ANZJOG © 2012 The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.