School pupil allowed to observe intimate examination
Editor - After I read last month's news story
about a school pupil being allowed to
observe an intimate examination1
my mind
wandered back to a time before medical
school when things seemed altogether
simpler. I too did work experience in hospi.
tal as a school pupil and I was also allowed to
be present during intimate examinations.
The patients were told that a few students
would be observing the procedure, but they
were not told that we were only 17 year old
school pupils. While at the time the
opportunity to stand in on a few exploratory
endoscopies seemed like my life's ambition
realised, I can now look back and see exactly
how wrong this practice is.
The story of the 15 year old not only
highlights many issues concerning informed
consent and patient confidentiality, it also
raises questions of the ethics of exposing a
child to such procedures. A spokesperson
for the hospital was quick to offer a public
apology to all the patients concerned, but
neglected to mention any words for the
parents of the child involved.
While work experience should be
encouraged, patient contact should be kept
very basic. School pupils seeing patients who
have given informed consent must be super.
vised at all times in order to protect not only
both the pupil and patient but also the
hospital from any litigation that may ensue.
As students we also have a responsibility
on the wards to be as honest as we can with
patients, with the common aim of becoming
as transparent as we can within the realms
of practicality. Commonsense must prevail.
Unfortunately, it is the only attribute that
a doctor requires which is not on the
curriculum.
James Raymond, Oliphant intercalated medical student, University of Aberdeen
Email: u02jro@abdn.ac.uk
studentBMJ 2001;09:399-442 November ISSN 0966-6494
- Barratt H. School pupil allowed to observe intimate examination. studentBMJ 2001;9:61. (October.)
