Abortion

[Geronimo]

This is not meant to start a war /discussion over the morality, etc... of abortion. I did a short 10 minute search on this forum and haven't found the answer to my question, so I thought I would ask it here.

Is/was abortion covered at any point during you med school experience? Did you have to perform any? If so, were you able to opt out based on religious beliefs?

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[tofurious]

Is/was abortion covered at any point during you med school experience? Did you have to perform any? If so, were you able to opt out based on religious beliefs?

Is it taught in classes? No. Do you have to participate in them? Many hospitals have to perform D&C on spontaneous abortions and med students do go in on them. I think most hospitals probably don't require you to go into elective abortions (in fact, I don't think any medical school "teaches" that, and you have to take special seminars offered by MSFC)

 

[LADoc00]

There is no more a point to teach procedural abortion in medical school than teaching how to do 200-cell counts on bone marrows.

The chaos that would ensue in such an experience would be crazy. I remember a euthansia discussion that resulted in a fist fight, let alone this. I think they should teach it though because honestly there would be far less support in medical community for fringe practices like partial birth tabs if there was.

 

[ericdamiansean]

probably somewhere during ethics they might bring it up

The chaos that would ensue in such an experience would be crazy. I remember a euthansia discussion that resulted in a fist fight,

serious? thought medical students should be a bit more civilized.though at my place, I've seen some thugs

 

[pikachu]

At my school during the Ob-Gyn rotation there was the option to spend one afternoon at an abortion clinic. I don't think there are any schools in the country that strictly require students to participate in elective abortions.

 

[Gut Shot]

Is/was abortion covered at any point during you med school experience? Did you have to perform any? If so, were you able to opt out based on religious beliefs?

Yes, we had to perform several. Partial birth abortions, too. We had to pull the otherwise healthy baby's head halfway out and then gouge its eyes out and suction the brain while it screamed. If we tried to opt out we were immediately failed from med school.

Seriously, though, you probably wouldn't run into an actual abortion unless you were 1.) voluntarily spending time at a site that performs them or 2.) doing an OB/GYN residency. Even in residency you can opt out of elective terminations on moral or religious grounds.

 

[Geronimo]

Thanks everyone. That answers my question perfectly. I think no more needs to be said so we don't errupt in a "flame war." Again, THANKS!

 

[Discobolus]

Regardless of how you feel about abortion you had to admit that only a small percentage of them performed are actually medically necessary, only around 2-3% from what I've read. So it seems to me that we should be learning quite a few medically necessary procedures before they get down to teaching us abortions.

 

[doc05]

there shouldn't any debate about this. if you don't want to do a TOP, then don't. as a medical student there is absolutely no reason to do one -- elective or otherwise. if you become an ob-gyn resident, you will do lots.

 

[12R34Y]

and even if you do become an OB during residency you wont be required to perform any elective abortions if you don't want to.

later

 

[T.A.M]

As far as I know, very few, if any, OB/GYN residency programs require performance of elective abortions. Residents should know how to perform a salpingostomy/salpingectomy for an ectopic pregnancy, but those procedures aren't considered "elective" abortions- even Catholic hospitals regularly perform them.

 

[beriberi]

At my incredibly conservative medical school, we did have 2 hours of teaching devoted to abortion. I believe students were allowed to opt out, though even the most conservative did not.

I think it would be immoral to practice medicine with more knowledge of the Kreb's cycle than of abortion. It is one of the most commonly performed outpatient surgeries in America (maybe the most). Regardless of your feelings, it is important that all physicians know the risks associated with the procedure, the common complications and how they are handled--for both medical and surgical procedures.

For example: Dr. Family Practice/ Dr Emergency/Dr. Pediatrics or Dr. IM should know when urgent/emergent referral is necessary for post-op bleeding or pain or fever in a patient they are seeing who has recently had an abortion.

 

[T.A.M]

From what I understand, post-op complications make up most of the teaching time devoted to elective abortions, since that will be the closest most docs ever come to the procedure.

 

[12R34Y]

Understanding the complications of abortions and how to treat them is one thing...........that has NOTHING to do with actually performing them. You dont need to perform one to know how to recognize complications.

later

 

[tofurious]

You dont need to perform one to know how to recognize complications.

True, but knowing how one is done is essential. I don't need to dig a hole in someone's skull to know how a shunt is placed, but I need to know how they do it to recognize shunt complications versus other disorders that may be going on.

 

[12R34Y]

I can agree with that...I mean you just don't need to perform one to understand one.

I have to recognize a post tonsillectomy hemorrhage.....don't have a clue how to do a tonsillectomy. You have to recognize a post-cabg MI or pericardial tamponade etc...have no clue how to perform a CABG. Meaning I have never performed one.

later

 

[DrMom]

closed per request of OP