‘So excited about the future’

Two OUWB student organizations recently held clinical skills night events to further help the school’s future physicians who will soon be spending more time in clinical settings.

The Pediatric Interest Group (PIG) offered a clinical skills event Nov. 14 at the Marcia & Eugene Applebaum Simulation Learning Institute at Corewell Health William Beaumont University Hospital in Royal Oak.

The OB/GYN Interest Group (OGIG) hosted its own version on Nov. 29, also at the hospital (in the OUWB classrooms).

Organizers from both groups said the events go a long way in helping students prepare.

“We have a lot of in-class learning in our first two years and having an opportunity to apply what we’re learning outside of the classroom is what I feel is most important,” said Emelie-Jo Scheffler, M2, vice president of PIG.  

Melanie Ermler, M2, president of OGIG, expressed similar thoughts about the OB/GYN night. She said it was of the first events she attended as an M1 in 2021.

“These nights are so rewarding because they are so low stakes…we’re not being tested or anything,” she said. “It’s fun to interact with older medical students, residents, and attendings (physicians)…you leave feeling so excited about the future.”

PIG skills night a first

The PIG clinical skills event was the first-of-its-kind for the student organization. Scheffler said she has been leading the effort to hold the event since she was an M1.

Because she was starting from scratch, Scheffler said it took a bit longer to pull it all together.

A lot of time was spent coordinating everything from identifying residents willing to help and also available, to finding a suitable location.

Scheffler worked with Andrea Hernandez-Troy, M.D., and Riya Kalra, M.D., who are both pediatricians at Corewell Health William Beaumont University Hospital to identify the types of stations to set up.

Scheffler said the skills night was designed to mimic what pediatric residents must complete throughout their respective residencies to get certified.

Stations included suturing, establishing intraosseous lines, intubation, spinal taps, and bandage wrapping. About 40 students participated in the event.

“It’s exciting to be starting this because I know it will continue for years to come,” she said. “Not only are we making an impact on the current PIG members, but for those who will follow us.”

Max Troyke, president, PIG, said the event was well-received by students, who generally said it was “unique and very informative.” 

“People were thanking us for putting it on and saying it was really cool because these kinds of learning opportunities (prior to clinicals) are pretty limited,” he said.

“The reception from students is the main thing (in assessing the success of the event.”

Tradition continues for OGIG night

Like the PIG skills night, the OGIG version also had several stations. Volunteers included six M3s, four M4s, six residents, and six attending physicians.

Topics covered at the stations included: OB history and screening; cesarean sections; contraception; annual well-woman exams; and more. Each station consisted of a short presentation followed by hands-on practicing with models, etc.

“It gets hard to see past the textbook sometimes when you’re in class learning all day,” said Scheffler. “Skills nights are fun because you get to practice and get excited about the future.”

Scheffler said one of the biggest benefits is being able to interact closely with residents, who in turn believe in the importance of such clinical skills opportunities.

“Part of why we’re here is that we enjoy the teaching aspect and the opportunities to work with (medical) student, especially given what’s going on in this country right now,” said David Lee, M.D., a fourth-year resident.

“We want students to have exposure to what it means to be an OB-GYN, and put some experience behind what they’re learning in the classroom,” he added.

Second-year resident, Hanna Berlin, M.D., a second-year resident, said such opportunities helped her “fall in love” with the specialty, and that she enjoys participating in the opportunities to possibly do the same for others.

“OB-GYN is unique in that you do so many hands-on procedures both in the office and the hospital and that you just don’t see in other fields,” she said. “I’m excited for these medical students to get hands-on experiences and hopefully get them as fired up about OB-GYN as I am.”