Internists training medical residents in pelvic examination: impact of an educational program

Pelvic examination is an important component of the primary care of women by internists, but training beyond medical school is rare.

We created an internist-run educational program for 1st-year medical residents in pelvic examination. The program consisted of 4 weekly patient-care sessions with 2 to 3 patients seen by each resident each session. Internists supervised each exam and gave real-time feedback and utilized a skills-assessment checklist during the first and last exams of the program to give comprehensive, formative feedback.

We evaluated the program using a self-assessment questionnaire concerning pelvic examination competency and attitudes, which utilized a 5-point Likert scale and was administered prior to, and 3 months after, the program. A total of 37 participants completed the program and reported improvements in competency and a trend toward an increased likelihood of performing exams.

This program, in which internists trained medical residents in pelvic examination, utilized real patients, improved participants self-assessed competency, and may increase the likelihood of residents performing pelvic examination in primary care.