Abstract
Introduction: Comprehensive healthcare for survivors of sexual violence is essential to prevent the diverse sequelae associated with the assault. In partnership with a local rape crisis center, we designed an educational module with the goal of training medical students on the basic needs of sexual assault patients with the aim to see if there was a significant difference in preparedness to counsel such patients.
 Methods: This quantitative quasi-randomized controlled study tested the effectiveness of an educational module on improving medical student preparedness for encounters with victims of sexual assault. A one-hour presentation, focusing on basic medical and legal knowledge regarding sexual abuse and compassionate patient-centered care, was provided to the intervention group during their compulsory Year 4 Emergency Medicine clerkship orientation. At the end of the month, students in the intervention and control groups were assessed using a standardized patient encounter simulating the presentation of a victim of sexual assault. Scores were determined by standardized patients, who utilized two checklists-one widely used for communication skills (KEECC-A) and the other focusing on sexual assault (WC-SAFE-specific).
 Results: For the KEECC-A, there was no significant difference in scores between the control and intervention groups (p=0.9257, 95% Confidence Interval [95%CI] 14.42,15.58]). The WC-SAFE-specific checklists were significantly different between the intervention and control groups (p=0.0076, 95%CI 3.79,4.21). 
 Conclusion: Our sexual assault module increased preparedness of medical students for encounters with sexual assault victims and provide trauma-informed care.
Highlights
Comprehensive healthcare for survivors of sexual violence is essential to prevent the diverse sequelae associated with the assault
Of the 147 students who completed the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE), 76 students were in the control group (51.7%) and 71 students were in the intervention group (48.3%). 93 students completed the post-OSCE survey
Regarding the KEECC-A, which had a total score of 25, there was no significant difference in scores between the control and intervention groups (p=0.9257, 95% CI [14.42, 15.58])
Summary
Comprehensive healthcare for survivors of sexual violence is essential to prevent the diverse sequelae associated with the assault. Sexual violence is a public health crisis, with an estimated 23 million women in the United States reporting an attempted or completed rape during their lifetime.[5] As a result, most medical providers will encounter victims of sexual assault during their clinical careers. These interactions can have long-standing impacts on health outcomes.[6] Several medical associations, including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Psychiatric Association, and the American Academy of Pediatrics describe duties of physicians in providing care to patients who are survivors of sexual assault, making our results pertinent to the training of future physicians.[7]
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