Keep your pants on!

I bet some of you may have wondered how we learn how to do pelvic exams. Well, even if you weren't, here is the DL (is this term even used anymore? I think I am way out of the loop on cool phrases.) Anyway, after a particularly grueling test on Endocrinology on Wednesday, I had to come back to the school later that day to learn pelvic exams. A program was created about 30 years ago by female medical students who realized that med students don't get a good learning experience for these very important exams (as in, the only people they had practiced on in the past were either dead or unconscious). As a result, if women had a bad experience, they were less apt to come back for regular check-ups. So, this program hires women, gives them an intensive training on the exam and then these women teach us how to do the exam on themselves. I know...the last part of that sentence probably grossed you out because all of us are a little squeamish about anyone seeing our private parts (rightfully so), but this was the most amazing experience. They told us when anything we did could possibly make someone uncomfortable (Example: I said, "Spread your legs"...probably not the best way to ask a woman to relax her legs out to the side) , they told us how to position our hands properly, etc. Yes, I am sure you are still grossed out, but none of us likes to have pelvic exams, and one that leaves no particularly bad memories is wonderful. So, today I am grateful for women who are willing to expose themselves for the common good, and you women out there should be, too!