The Attitude of Patients Towards the Presence of Medical Students in a Breast Clinic: A Self-Administered Questionnaire Based Audit

Abstract

Background: It is widely acknowledged that medical students need to learn the skills involved in a breast clinic, such as history taking, examination technique, requesting appropriate investigations, giving bad news effectively and adequate post-operative care. In order to gain these skills, medical students are required to attend breast clinics necessitating patient participation. The aim of this audit was to investigate the difference in attitudes of patients towards the presence of male and female medical students in a breast clinic. Methods: In a breast clinic in two teaching hospitals, 132 consecutive patients completed a confidential, self administered questionnaire before the clinical consultation. Results: Only 30% of patients were comfortable with a male medical student taking their history compared to 48% with a female medical student. While 23% of patients were comfortable with a male medical student examining them compared to 45% with a female medical student. Discussion: The perceived acceptance of patients towards the presence of male medical students in a breast clinic is relatively low, potentially highlighting a need for adaptive teaching techniques such as the use of patient focused simulation.