Evaluation of a Novel Pediatric & Adolescent Gynecology Sub-Internship for Medical Students [12G

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Although Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology (PAG) is an important and growing field, training opportunities are limited, especially at the medical school level. To address this gap, we developed a PAG sub-internship and elective course for medical students. Our course represents the fourth PAG sub-internship available in North American medical schools; by contrast, other available sub-internships include 113 in Maternal Fetal Medicine and 82 in Gynecologic Oncology. METHODS: Our four-week PAG sub-internship and two-week elective include a multi-pronged evaluation system with three components: a written test taken on the first and last day of the sub-internship, direct observation and evaluation of clinical skills using the Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) framework, and a 360-degree feedback system allowing students to provide anonymous feedback regarding the sub-internship. RESULTS: In the first year of our sub-internship, seven students applied and five students enrolled; in the second year, eight students have applied. Mean overall EPA entrustability scores were 2.3 and 3.7 on the first and final day of the sub-internship, respectively. Preliminary evaluation data showed a mean score of 5.0 (strongly agree) for the evaluation question “Were you satisfied with the clinical teaching in this elective/sub-internship?” Excerpts from the written feedback provided via anonymous evaluations included “This elective provided an excellent cross-section between pediatrics and gynecology.” CONCLUSION: We have developed, implemented, and evaluated a PAG sub-internship for medical students. We share our evaluation data to demonstrate the value of such training opportunities and help other institutions who wish to create a PAG sub-internship.