Tell a Meaningful Story: Qualitative Analysis of Obstetrics and Gynecology Clerkship Narratives

Results: The most common clerkship setting was labor and delivery (52%) despite it being only one-third of six-week clerkship. Residents were actors in 80% of narratives, while attending physicians, nurses and other medical students were included less frequently. Common events included complicated deliveries, communication failures and social predicaments including teen pregnancy, unintended pregnancy, substance abuse and caring for incarcerated women. Students frequently commented on the surprise and unfamiliarity of their experiences and subsequent emotional response. Students observe residents communicating with patients and their families during these encounters, at times producing internal conflict. Students not knowing whether the encounter was handled appropriately or how they would perform under similar circumstances as future physicians established presence of internal conflict.