Lisette Collins, BS 

Mikaela Koch, BA

Aparna Sridhar, MD MPH

Samantha Nadella, MD

Background: Data has shown that students on OBGYN clerkships often describe passive learning, feeling de-valued and excluded from clinical activities. UCLA students now rotate on clerkships as second years, entering the clinical setting at even earlier stages, potentially exacerbating traditional barriers to success. Studies have shown that peer mentorship is a potential avenue to increase student success and satisfaction with clinical rotations.

Objective: This abstract describes a multi-faceted peer advisory program (PAP) targeted to improve student success and satisfaction with the OBGYN clerkship rotation.

Methods: UCLA medical students rotating on OBGYN across six clinical sites were included. Students were contacted before their rotation with a site-specific PowerPoint, provided with a guide of how to be successful in the operating room, and an invitation to join a GroupMe with their peer advisor. Peer advisors were available to answer questions and offer support throughout the rotation. At the end of the rotation, a 9-item online survey was distributed assessing their interaction with peer advisors and their satisfaction with the program. Level of satisfaction was assessed on a Likert scale from Strongly disagree to Strongly agree measured numerically from 0-5. This study received IRB exemption.

Results: To date, 12 students have responded to the survey for a response rate of 32%. Of respondents, 42% said they contacted their peer advisor 2-3 times throughout the rotation and 83% stated their peer advisor responded within 12 hours. Moreover, students found the initial PowerPoint helpful (4.08/5). Lastly, students overwhelmingly believed PAP would be a useful resource for other rotations (4.17/5).

Discussion: The OBGYN peer advisory program is a valuable addition to clerkship students, providing them with resources and support as questions arise. Recruitment is ongoing, and in development include OBGYN specific badge buddies and a OBGYN clerkship pocketbook.