Preparing to attend

Look up the patients before you arrive using clinical portal. Print out a list of patients and write down all relevant details eg clinical history from the referral (new patients) or last gyn letter/operation note/discharge summary (follow-up), recent blood results, recent scan results, medical/surgical history, medications/allergies.

Gynaecology clinics start at 9am and 1pm. Make sure you arrive early. I recommend arriving 30mins before the clinic starts.

Revise ‘How to do a Pelvic Examination’ from CANVAS or you can watch my video.

When you arrive

Introduce yourself to the reception staff and the nurses, say you are here to sit in with the gynaecology doctor. Ask where you should wait.

If there is a room available, log into the computer and bring you the clinic notes.

In clinic, there are Green sheets that have a template for taking a history from new patients. Ask the nurses where these sheets are kept. Always carry one with you so you’ll be ready to take a history if the opportunity arises.

When the doctor arrives, introduce yourself. Say that you have looked up the cases and what you were hoping to get out of the clinic.

Tips while in clinic

1. If you haven’t made your own print out of the patients, you could ask the receptionist if you can make a copy.

2. It makes a good impression if you tidy and remake the bed after a patient has been examined. So, it is a good idea to look where in the room do they keep the ‘bluey’s’ and the new ‘bed sheets’

3. While you are waiting you can look in the metal trolley and familiarise yourself with all the items eg swabs, smear taking equipment, different sized speculums

What you might be able to do from the logbook

• Conduct a speculum/bimanual examination/swabs/smear

• Assessment of clinical conditions eg Heavy Menstrual Bleeding, Incontinence (See Page 8-9)

Other opportunities to look out for

• Interpret Pelvic USS report

• Learn how to explain findings eg Adenomyosis, Fibroids, Polyps, Endometriosis