I Was a Pregnant Practice Patient

One of the reasons I came to work at Midwestern University is because I truly believe in what we are doing here. Education has always been a personal passion and educating students in fields that are under-staffed is even better. A few weeks ago I had the chance to really show my commitment to the cause when our Physician Assistant (PA) program asked me to help prepare students for their women and children rotations.

In case you’ve missed the last eight months of my life—I am pregnant, which apparently made me a great practice patient for our student PAs. So I agreed to spend several hours one Tuesday morning with our third-year PA students so they could practice fundal measurement.

I arrived bright and early at 8 am with my pillow and was introduced to the students. There were four of us pregnant patients. Two of us would be the fundal measurement patients while the other two did basic exams and fetal heartbeats. I went off to an exam room with the PA instructor and waited for the first group of students.

Six students filed nervously into the exam room and washed their hands. Their instructor went over some basics and then showed them how to measure the uterus which would be a fetal growth indicator they could use throughout the patient’s pregnancy. She also showed them how to feel for the baby and its position. Then it was their turn.

What followed was a morning filled with nervous students (especially the men) approaching my pregnant stomach with some combination of fear and awe. There were shaking hands and many apologies for cold fingers or heavy pressure. Many students were concerned about hurting me and barely touched my stomach which made it very difficult for them to do their measurements correctly or to feel the baby. The braver students were often rewarded by my daughter dancing all over to get away from their pushing. This would result in either cries of delight or looks of total disbelief as she squirmed underneath the surface causing my stomach to ripple.

After each student practiced we usually had enough time to answer questions. I did find this the most educational piece for me. Even with an instructor in the room most students asked questions about my pregnancy and pregnancy experience. There was also a student in almost every group who asked what I wanted from my health care provider when I was pregnant. This question caught me off guard. No one has really ever asked me what I wanted from my health care provider (other than quality care of course). But here were these students genuinely wanting to do more and go that extra step to ensure the well-being of their soon-to-be patients. They wanted to be as prepared as possible in ALL areas of patient care.

That’s when I realized all the poking, prodding, and cold hands were more than worth it. I can feel pretty darn good that I played a part, however small, in preparing a group of students who I am confident will be a great group of PAs when all is said and done. And next year maybe they’ll ask to have my daughter come in as the next step in their women and children care. My guess is we’ll be there.