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MSFC Update - April 2004 NOTES FROM THE NATIONAL OFFICE Every morning before the sun rises on the ob/gyn floor at Holy Cross Hospital, the medical students, residents, and attending physician meet to discuss patients on morning rounds. The progress of women in labor is reviewed; the conditions of postpartum patients are discussed; management is debated. In theory, at the intersection of patient care and medical education, this conversation should be welcoming and comprehensive. However, as I recently found out, that is not ever the case. On our first day we were to meet with the teaching resident. That morning was her chance to be explicit with expectations. As she rattled off various times, dates, and places, we furiously flipped through our manuals: the early mornings, the nights on-call, the lectures and case reports. We knew the infamy of the ob/gyn rotation and it all seemed to fit, until we realized she had saved the most egregious rule for last: “There is to be no discussion of any contraceptive options with any of the patients here. Although all texts include contraceptive planning as a routine part of postpartum care, it is forbidden. Do not bring this up in rounds. Hospital policy.” Now, as a medical student, it is not rare for me to feel nonplussed. With education and evaluations perpetually in the balance, certainly one of the most delicate skills to learn is when to speak up. But this was different. Patient care was at stake. There I was in morning rounds, trapped between dogma and a standard of care — and here we are as Medical Students for Choice, thirty-one years after Roe v. Wade —with the impetus to speak up as striking as ever. It is clear that we live, train and work in environments that do not always provide comprehensive health care. For many women, Catholic hospitals like Holy Cross openly restrict the delivery of care. For others, access is limited by state-regulated legislation or a lack of providers. There are more restrictions on abortion rights now than at any other time since 1973. And this past year has brought new challenges with the passage of federal legislation restricting later-term termination options for women and their physicians. As we enter our twelfth year of growth, MSFC remains a strong, independent voice for women’s health care. And this year, we look to increase our visibility. We have expanded research and media efforts with student-driven taskforces. With the creation of a Story Bank, we are bringing together the personal stories of pro-choice health care professionals to highlight our own unique experiences with abortion. In April, we will be convening for our Annual Meeting in New Orleans and gathering in large numbers in Washington, DC to March for Women’s Lives together. As we enter 2004, the need for us to speak out — with our patients, on news pages, in morning rounds and voting booths — is striking. And I look forward to continuing to speak out as a Medical Student for Choice. There is no single group of people that I feel more united with and it is only on the shoulders of the courageous foremothers of the pro-choice movement who risked their lives to speak out that I can even stand among you. Together as physicians, medical students, and pro-choice leaders, our collective voices are stronger than ever. Now, it is up to us to use them. Rob Roose
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