To want to be asked about med students being in my appointments?

[beth27123]

Just gone into my 16 week midwife appointment to be faced with two baby faced male med students. I had quite personal questions I wanted to ask and felt like I should have been asked? Maybe I'm overreacting on the subject but with a history of abuse from a former relationship I find it hard enough to have OH in some appointments. I don't really know how to deal with it but it was suggested these students may be present in further appointments.

YANBU, your consent should always be sought.

I always get asked first and have to sign an agreement at my surgery.
You can say no.

You absolutely should have been asked in advance if you were ok with them being there. You also have the right to ask to have them leave, even though it can feel awkward asking in front of them (hence why you should be asked first).

YANBU. Your midwife should have asked if you were comfortable with it as soon as you walked into the room. I would explain to your midwife that you do not want any med students in your appointments in future and point out that you have not given your consent.

complain to tpur surgery

YANBU.

You should have been asked. If they do turn up uninvited again you are quite within your rights to request they leave the room.

You should have been asked . . .but: I would never refuse as I want the junior doctors to get the best possible training, which means on the job experience .

I was asked if a student could be present during some of my appointments and I refused - the midwife was very civil about it and my refusal was not a problem. I do appreciate everyone has to learn etc, but I wasn't comfortable with it. Just tell your midwife that you do not give your consent to this and that should be the end of it.

Definitely not unreasonable. They should have posters up saying they might be there as it's a teaching hospital, they should also make it abundantly clear that you can ask for them to not be there, and not have any alteration or discrimination in the treatment that you receive.

You ought to be asked before you've gone in if it's OK. If they haven't been organised enough to do that, you can ask them to go at ANY point in a consultation, so if that's just after hello.

Just read your last sentence.

If you are clear that you do not want students present in your obstetric consults, you can get it put on your notes, so no one pressures you again.

You have NO obligation to have them there. There is a bit of a tendency to guilt patients into having them there "how else are they going to learn" but there are plenty of pregnant women in this world.

I refused too for same grounds. Just didn't want to be their guinea pig.

Annoys hell out of me too.

It used to be very common to be asked before you went in, in my experience.

A few years ago, they started asking in the room, with the med students there. That made it a lot harder to say no, but they would leave if you asked them too.

Now I haven't been asked in a while. I had an oncology appt earlier and there were a few med students. They kept interrupting and asking questions and it was a bit scary - the appt was scary enough anyway, and I felt quite vulnerable. I totally understand why they are there, though, so I tried to block them out. They all wished me well and were very polite when I left.

I've had students in mine a couple of times and always been asked/given the opportunity to refuse (both by doctor and secretary). I didn't mind at all, but it was pretty obvious I was being used as a guinea pig- students encouraged to run through list of checkpoints on me with Dr. prompting, "and what about...." etc, when it was already all written in my notes, it lasted ages. You should definitely be asked IMHO....could you send a quick email to the surgery asking them if your further appointments could be just you and the doctor? I'm sure they won't care or think you're overreacting, and they probably just forgot to ask you.

Congrats by the way

I got asked when i had a smear done the student had a look too. Also found out if you had a baby you have a slit and a dot in had no dc the nurse was explaining to the student .. everdays a school day

I said no once but I can't remember why. I know that I was distressed for some reason.

You should definitely be asked and are well within your rights to say no - it is also good practice to be asked before you're in the room with the students too as that's embarrassing for everyone!

I have been a med student myself and never took any offence at all if people said no to me being there. BUT it is a great learning opportunity for students so if you don't mind them being there it's really helpful. One patient did say to me once that they'd rather have me there learning as a student than have me there totally clueless as a new doctor in a new situation which I think is a really good point.

I had a lot of extra scans with DS2 (dilated renal pelves) which were typically the consultant plus a midwife plus a student or two each.

I don't mind their being there (except for internals) but I do expect to be asked first, and that everyone is identified. Just "is it ok if our students sit in? This is Steve who's in his final year and Kathy who's a second year." Doesn't take much.

I had a med student do my last smear test.

You should always be asked though, and asked with them not present.

Our surgery and hospital notes have in something along the lines of 'this is a teaching hospital/surgery and such it is to be expected we have students doing on the job training, if you would prefer to be seen without them then please let your doctor/midwife know and your care will not be affected. We thank you in advance for allowing students to observe and learn from you if you feel you are able to allow this'. All you have to do is say I'd rather be seen without students, plenty of people would rather not be involved in teaching, however if everyone felt like this then it would be a disaster for future medics/midwives/nurses. I know I'd rather be looked after by someone who has had the opportunity to learn and be taught in a completely supervised real life environment as opposed to having just read about it in a book. It should never affect your care though if you wish to ask them to leave.

If I have been the docs and a traineee has been there they normally ask if it is ok for them to be there. If you don't want them there just say so. To be fair though they are training and someone has to be the guinea pig. How else are they supposed to learn?

All healthcare professionals are duty bound to inform you of a students presence at your appointment and they ahve to give you the option of saying no.

I had a student midwife at many of my antenatal appointments and she even did my sweep, did not bother me one jot.

However, some people, for one reason or another may not want to be sued as a teaching case and absolutely have the right to say no to being so. Importantly- I don't know one medical student (and I have known many) that was in any way offended by being asked to leave. People have their reasons, this is understood and it shouldn't be held against you in any way

can you ring your midwife and have a chat with her? explain what you have said in your op, its done now but maybe it can be put on your notes for future reference

I am just the person med students want to be dealing with quite happy to let them perform an internal if needs be, I seriously have no shame, but I think it is outrageous to presume everyone fees the same. You definitely should have been asked without the students present so your felt no obligation.

You should be asked first. I always say yes as DD is a med student and they have to learn, but can understand the reasons for refusing.

You should be asked. I always get to play freak show teaching case for my physiotherapist's students which I don't mind at all, but he always asks and introduces the student first which is exactly how it should be. I'd complain to the surgery if I were you.