• Clinical skills in the medical interview and physical exam with attention to OB Gyn history and genitourinary examination.
• Collect and interpret cervical cytology results
• Understand and be able to counsel women on modern contraceptive technology
• Differential diagnosis of the “acute abdomen” – pelvic infection, ectopic pregnancy, adnexal torsion, appendicitis, diverticulitis, renal calculi
• Physiologic adjustments that accompany normal gestation, including effects on lab test results
• Social and health policy aspect of women’s health, ethical issues, sterilization, abortion, domestic violence, adolescent pregnancy, access to health care, etc.
• Menstrual cycle, normal and abnormal function, including menopause
• Infertility
• Intrapartum care and common problems in obstetrics
• Breast health, including breastfeeding
• Vaginal and vulvar disorders
• Screening for reproductive cancers

The OB/GYN clerkship directors from all three UASOM campuses met, developed, and created a list of OB/GYN procedures that all students must meet as minimum requirements during the 8 week clerkship rotation. These were developed using the Priority 1 Objectives from the APGO Medical Student Educational Objectives 9th Edition document as a guide. The procedures have been identified by APGO as requiring a "show how" or "do" competency level and the quantity selected was based on prior experiences from all 3 campuses. The goal is for students to gain as much clinical experience as possible and not be limited by these minimum guidelines. Training models and simulated patients will qualify for these as well.
Click Here to print these minimum requirements in a Check List format.

Enhancing communication skills through interpersonal skillsThe members of the Medical Education Committee University of Alabama School of Medicine developed the Core Clinical Competencies. These are a compilation of the professional behavior, clinical skills, medical knowledge and issues regarding family and societal influences in health care that each graduate of the UASOM must have acquired prior to graduation. The following objectives will be stressed during the OB/GYN clerkship.

• Professionally and compassionately relating news of serious acute or chronic illness or congenital abnormality to patients and family.
• Identifying, organizing, and recording accurately in the patient record the information needed to appropriately address the patient’s problem/condition
• Self education by utilizing key information sources, literature searches, decision support systems, and assessing the quality of this information/studies and application to clinical practice.
• Developing a productive interaction with patients, encouraging patient autonomy, maintaining confidentiality and maintaining continuing personal responsibility for the patient’s health care.
• Describing the professional and ethical issues facing physicians when encountering and treating the economically disadvantaged.
• Identifying and presenting in an unbiased manner potentially controversial health care issues, including reproductive choice, maternal-fetal conflicts and religious conflicts with the provider
• Professional dress and manner in patient care areas

• Sexual, menstrual and obstetrical history
• Family history as it relates to risk factors for disease and possible congenital anomalies/risks

• Pap Smear (cytology results)
• Pathology of the genital tract-cervix, endometruim, uterus, ovaries
• Pregnancy tests - urine & serum
• Cultures for sexually transmitted diseases
• Hormonal assays

• Risk factors for common chronic illness and gynecologic disease
• Indications and interpretation of periodic screening tests including the impact of age, ethnicity and other risk factors in women
• Routine prenatal care and deviations from the routine course
• The impact of life style choices on health and disease

• Identify pharmacokinetics and volume distribution of medication in the pregnant woman, utilize the pregnancy classification system in the PDR to select drugs

• Prevention/Health Screening: self breast exam, mammograms, pap smears, safe sex, osteoporosis
• Hospital discharge education: postpartum care, breastfeeding, wound care, use of medication, activity restrictions,

• Pelvic and breast examination
• Place and remove skin staples
• Demonstrate surgical scrub and sterile techniques
• Perform a vaginal delivery
• Obtain a pap smear and cervical cultures
• Episiotomy repair
• Assist with common surgical procedures: hysterectomy, cesarean section, laparoscopy

• Recognize hemorrhagic and septic shock, either obstetrical or surgical
• Recognize an acute abdomen

• Complications of labor and delivery including pre-eclampsia, preterm labor, premature rupture of membranes, hemorrhages, abruption, fetal distress, and dysfunctional labor and shoulder dystocia.
• Pre-surgical evaluation of surgical risks factors, indication for surgery, principles of informed consent

• Pre-conceptive counseling for women with chronic common medical conditions affecting the prenatal course and delivery
• Common causes of acute and chronic pelvic pain
• Common breast complaints
• Common causes of abnormal vaginal bleeding patterns including complications of pregnancy
• Primary and secondary amenorrhea
• Vaginitis
• Common causes of urinary problems: UTI, urinary incontinence
• Management of estrogen deficiency
• Contraceptive counseling and management

• Labor, delivery and postpartum
• Pyelonephritis
• Pregnancy complications such as hypertension

• HIV infection
• STD
• Post operative/post-delivery infections
• Infectious agents as they pertain to pregnancy

• Cancer of uterus, ovaries, cervix
• Benign neoplasms of uterus, ovaries, cervix and breast

• Identify those diseases/conditions for which screening is appropriate preconceptively or during pregnancy

• Normal life cycle physiology and how it impacts on the pathology with particular emphasis on menstrual cycle, puberty and menopause
• Anticipation of female reproductive life cycle changes including physiologic factors and provide education to the patient to help maximize the acceptance of and adaptation to these normal life stages.
• Physiological, emotional, and societal influences of sexuality throughout life stages and their relationship to illness and health in traditional and alternative expression of sexuality.

• Respect for the individual’s values, goals and concerns regarding reproductive choices, infertility, safe sex, and contraception
• Effects of family relationships on health and illness
• Complex behavioral change and other factors involved in patient compliance with medical plan

UASOM Educational Goals and Objectives