"We had to put ourselves in their shoes": Experiences of Medical Students and ObGyn Residents with a Values Clarification Workshop on Abortion

Taryn M Valley; Elise S Cowley; Alma Farooque; Zoey B Shultz; Margaret Williams; Jacquelyn Askins; Amy Godecker; Laura Jacques

doi:10.1101/2023.02.16.23286043

"We had to put ourselves in their shoes": Experiences of Medical Students and ObGyn Residents with a Values Clarification Workshop on Abortion

medRxiv [Preprint]. 2023 Feb 17:2023.02.16.23286043. doi: 10.1101/2023.02.16.23286043.

Authors

Taryn M Valley^{1

2}, Elise S Cowley^{3

4}, Alma Farooque⁵, Zoey B Shultz⁵, Margaret Williams¹, Jacquelyn Askins¹, Amy Godecker¹, Laura Jacques¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1010 Mound St., Madison, WI 53715 USA.
² Department of Anthropology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1180 Observatory St., Madison, WI, 53706, USA.
³ Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1550 Linden Dr., Madison, WI, 53706 USA.
⁴ Microbiology Doctoral Training Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1550 Linden Dr., Madison, WI, 53706 USA.
⁵ University of Wisconsin-Madison, School of Medicine and Public Health, 750 Highland Ave, Madison, WI, 53726 USA.

Abstract

Purpose: Values clarification workshops on abortion have been shown to increase support for abortion among healthcare workers. However, few studies have examined the impact of values clarification workshops on abortion among medical trainees. This study aimed to understand medical student and obstetrics and gynecology (ObGyn) residents' experiences with a virtual values clarification workshop on abortion.

Methods: Clerkship year medical students and ObGyn residents at four midwestern teaching hospitals were invited to be interviewed about their experiences in a virtual values clarification workshop on abortion from January 2021 through December 2021. A single interviewer conducted interviews via Zoom using a standardized interview guide. Participants were asked to provide feedback and discuss their experiences in the workshop. Four qualitatively trained evaluators coded the interview transcripts in NVivo, using an inductive approach to establish consensus codes then themes.

Results: This study interviewed 37 trainees, including 24 medical students and 13 ObGyn residents, as well as five facilitators, between November 2021 and February 2022. Three themes emerged in both trainee groups. First, participants found the workshops helped trainees clarify and understand their own views on abortion through thought exploration, peer validation, and reflection on their views' potential societal impacts. Second, through the workshop, participants reflected on others' opinions on abortion and better understood the spectrum of beliefs their peers held. Finally, participants found the workshops helped them explore and develop their professional identity as physicians-in-training, through practicing communication skills and building trust and mutual respect among peers.

Conclusions: Medical trainees found values clarification workshops on abortion to be valuable, helping them establish their own beliefs about abortion, contextualize these beliefs among their peers', and practice professionalism. These findings indicate that values clarification workshops can play a key role in helping medical trainees discuss abortion and prepare for their professional future.

Publication types

Preprint