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| Heather Glass, OB-GYN clerkship coordinator, and Nicolette Holliday, M.D., OB-GYN clerkship director and associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology, show off the awards they received at commencement. |
During the 2021 USA College of Medicine’s graduation ceremony, Nicolette Holliday, M.D., clerkship director and associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology, was delighted to learn that OB-GYN won the Best Clerkship Award.
The votes came from students of the graduating class.
“This is the first time in two decades that OB-GYN was given this award, and we are so honored,” said Holliday. “Changing our rotation schedule to focus more on the student experience is one of the main reasons the program has been successful.”
The goal of a clerkship is to rotate students throughout different disciplines to gain experience in core specialties. Holliday said adding more interactive activities has been beneficial.
“We’ve purchased simulators to help teach our students about pelvic exams and clinical care,” she said. “They also get to rotate throughout various clinics and women’s care units in the hospital. We’ve also added a fun Jeopardy-style game for test review.”
During the OB-GYN clerkship, medical students participate in deliveries, surgeries and preventative health screenings. They also learn about intimate partner violence and postpartum depression.
Holliday said it is critical for medical students to have exposure to all facets of patient care before entering into their specialty.
“These experiences working with patients and physicians will shape our students as they learn ways to care for women and their health,” she said. “Offering these patient encounters to students is an incredible opportunity for them to gain skills that they will use throughout their careers.”
Holliday credits Amelia Hewes, M.D., assistant clerkship director and an obstetrician-gynecologist at USA Health, and Heather Glass, clerkship coordinator, with helping her transform the program. The clerkship will continue to evolve for students.
“We use feedback from each group of students to improve our program,” she said. “Hopefully, these changes will inspire more students to choose OB-GYN as a future specialty.”
