For my final rotation, I had the pleasure of rotating at Woodhull for OBGYN.  It was a very interesting rotation as it was a really focused rotation and all of the patients were female. I learned a great deal of information regarding the female reproductive system and associated disorders, as well as details regarding labor and delivery. My time there was divided between GYN, clinic, and labor and delivery. I would say my favorite part of the rotation was seeing patients in clinic. Overall, I enjoyed the rotation.

One thing I liked about being in clinic was my ability to connect with patients and providing a safe space, which is important in this setting as the physical exam can be anxiety provoking. The physical exam for GYN includes doing a breast exam and pelvic exam which can make patients uncomfortable both physically and emotionally. One thing I learned during this time was to make sure you are explaining every part of the exam as you are going along. For example, when doing a pelvic exam, I always tell the patient that they will feel my hand on their leg before I touch them. I also show them the speculum before inserting it and advising them that they will feel pressure. I would also tell the patient to notify me if they feel uncomfortable or pain at any point in time. I feel that patients really appreciated the patience required to do these sensitive exams, and I hope to continue to remember to always be transparent with patients. 

One problem I did run into while doing a pelvic exam was locating the cervix. I realize that female anatomy will vary depending on the patient, but I had a real difficult time. However, I did get better with practice. A tip that I received from one of the providers was to do your bimanual exam first if you are unable to locate cervix with the speculum, which really helped. I can’t say that I have perfected the pelvic exam in terms of locating the cervix, but I know that it will come with practice. 

During my time in OBGYN, I also came across one patient that I really connected with. She was a patient who appeared to have an ectopic pregnancy based on clinic presentation and she was in a lot of pain. She was very anxious and had a history of depression and anxiety. Based off my initial conversation with her, the patient was very upset with the fact that no one had seen her for hours or addressed her pain. At the point, I felt it was my job to diffuse the situation and to make sure the patient felt like she was being heard and that I she knew I cared. After speaking with her, especially through the pain, the patient expressed that I had great bedside manner and said that I will make a great provider one day. Her words really impacted me. I knew in that moment that what I had said and done had made a difference for this patient. Moving forward, I hope to carry this experience with me and that I can continue to have experiences like this with patients.

As I approach graduation, my goal is to continue approaching management of patients holistically. I want to be able to connect with patients and understand what it is important to them while still providing quality care.