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PURPOSE

  • Assess the impact of the AMSA Elective in Reproductive Justice, Family Planning, and Abortion Care in providing transformative, liberatory medical education in reproductive justice framework and trauma-informed care.

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BACKGROUND

  • Traditional medical school curriculum fails to provide adequate training in abortion care and family planning
  • Educational opportunities have become even more limited post-Dobbs
  • AMSA has a strong history of educational and leadership programs that focus on empowering voices least represented in medical education, those who are committed to transforming the traditional approaches to medical education.
  • We developed our elective by incorporating learning objectives recommended by University of Michigan’s RJ-Med Ed Working Group.

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METHODS

  • A pre- and post-survey consisting of 20 questions was used to assess students’ perceived effectiveness of the program via the 5-point Likert scale
  • 20 students were enrolled in two separate sessions of the two-week long elective in May 2023. A total of 10 students completed both the pre- and post- surveys (50% survey response rate)
  • Students identified their knowledge and comfort level discussing topics including: principles of reproductive justice, structural racism in medicine, abortion stigma, storytelling as a tool for advocacy, values clarification around family planning, and approaches to care that are affirming of trans, non-binary, and LGBTQIA+ individuals.

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RESULTS

  • Comparing pre- and post-surveys using the 5-point Likert scale, the distribution of responses showed increased self-confidence and knowledge of reviewed topics.

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Selected objectives for Elective

  1. Fundamental principles and concepts of Reproductive Justice.
  2. Structural racism in medicine.
  3. Critical analysis of socio-political and cultural organization of modern westernized medicine.
  4. Concepts of agency, autonomy, dignity, and self-determination.
  5. Obtaining consent in accordance with four principles of informed consent.
  6. Exploring interconnections between system of medicine and carceral state; the moral and legal discourse around abortion and of reproduction.
  7. Stigmatization of abortion through public discourse shaped by political, religious, and/or moral ideologies.
  8. How to use storytelling as a tool/method for Reproductive Justice advocacy, including for abortion care.
  9. Physician’s values exploration and clarification around family planning and pregnancy options counseling.
  10. Concepts related to birthing justice, including history and roles of midwives and doulas, home births, and birthing centers.
  11. Approaches to care that are based in non-violent communication and trauma-informed practices.
  12. Approaches to care that are affirming of Trans, Non-Binary, Gender Non-Conforming, and LGBTQIA+ people.
  13. Notions of cultural sensitivity (cultural competency} and cultural humanity in contexts of providing care.

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LIMITATIONS AND DISCUSSION

  • Statistical analysis was limited by a small sample size (n=10)
  • Our approach to medical education demonstrates the power of liberatory pedagogy, informed by reproductive justice principles and anti-oppression ethics to activate future physicians as partners in the struggle for reproductive health and justice.

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Anna Hindman OMSIV1, Avanthi Jayaweera, MD1, Aliye Runyan, MD1, Jeffrey Koetje, MD1, Charisse Loder, MD2

A novel model for medical education: American Medical Student Association (AMSA) Elective in Reproductive Justice, Family Planning, and Abortion Care

Institutional affiliations

  1. American Medical Student Association (AMSA)
  2. University of Michigan Medicine; Division of Family Planning