JOINT SOGC-APOG POLICY STATEMENT Pelvic Examinations by Medical Students GENERAL PRINCIPLES

Ensuring the quality of medical education is important toensuring that all Canadians have access to good health care today and in the future; however, patient autonomy should be respected in all clinical and educational interactions. When a medical student is involved in patient care, patients should be told what the student’s roles will be, and patients must provide consent. Patient participation in any aspect of medical education should be voluntary and non-discriminatory. PREAMBLE Women’s health is an important element of the medical school curriculum, and all physicians must be trained in the basic knowledge and skills pertinent to the care of the female patient. Regardless of the specialty that medical stu-dents ultimately choose to pursue, as medical practitioners they need to learn to perform pelvic examinations in a sensitive, competent, and ethical manner. They need not only th