To the Point: optimizing the learning environment in labor and delivery

Jonathan Schaffir; Helen Kang Morgan; Rashmi Bhargava; Laura Baecher-Lind; Katherine T Chen; Angela Fleming; Christopher Morosky; Celeste S Royce; Shireen Madani Sims; Tammy Sonn; Alyssa Stephenson-Famy; Jill M Sutton

doi:10.1016/j.ajogmf.2023.101090

To the Point: optimizing the learning environment in labor and delivery

Am J Obstet Gynecol MFM. 2023 Sep;5(9):101090. doi: 10.1016/j.ajogmf.2023.101090. Epub 2023 Jul 11.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH (Dr Schaffir). Electronic address: jonathan.schaffir@osumc.edu.
² University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (Dr Morgan).
³ University of Saskatchewan, Regina, SK (Dr Bhargava).
⁴ Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA (Dr Baecher-Lind).
⁵ Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY (Dr Chen).
⁶ Corewell Health, Farmington Hills, MI (Dr Fleming).
⁷ University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT (Dr Morosky).
⁸ Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA (Dr Royce).
⁹ University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL (Dr Sims).
¹⁰ Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO (Dr Sonn).
¹¹ University of Washington, Seattle, WA (Dr Stephenson-Famy).
¹² Eastern Carolina University Brody School of Medicine, Greenville, NC (Dr Sutton).

PMID: 37437693
DOI: 10.1016/j.ajogmf.2023.101090

Abstract

The labor and delivery floor is a unique learning environment that poses challenges to teaching medical students, with a potentially detrimental effect on their evaluations of the obstetrics and gynecology clerkship. This article, from the "To the Point" series prepared by the Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics Undergraduate Medical Education Committee, offers specific suggestions for improving undergraduate medical education in obstetrics with attention to student preparation, faculty development, nonphysician staff involvement, and patient education. Optimizing the learning environment in labor and delivery would improve student experiences and perceptions of our specialty.

Keywords: labor and delivery; learning environment; medical student experience; obstetrics clerkship; undergraduate medical education.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Clinical Clerkship*
Education, Medical, Undergraduate*
Gynecology*
Humans
Obstetrics* / education
Students, Medical*