Midwifery knowledge and the medical student experience. An exploration of the concept of midwifery knowledge and its use in medical students' construction of knowledge during a specialist obstetric rotation

摘要

The literature concerning what medical students learn from midwives during specialistudobstetric rotations is scarce. In the UK, despite a long tradition of providing midwiferyudattachments for medical students, it is almost non-existent.udWorking with midwives is arguably the only opportunity medical students have toudexperience holistic or social models of maternity care, focusing on normality rather thanudon the medical concept of risk.udThis study sought to discover how medical students constructed their knowledge aboutudchildbirth during a six week specialist rotation in obstetrics in a Northern Englishudteaching hospital (NETH), with particular emphasis on whether participants assimilatedudany concepts from midwifery knowledge (MK). A Delphi Study, done as the first phaseudof the research, focused on MK, utilizing an international sample of experiencedudmidwives. Resulting themes were used to develop the data collection tool for the secondudphase of the research.udThe research employed a qualitative case study method with students from a single yearudcohort comprising the case. Data were collected using a tool consisting of three problemudbased learning (PBL) scenarios. These were presented to the students in consecutiveudinterviews at the beginning, the middle and the end of their obstetric rotation.udFollowing analysis, five main themes were identified which illuminated the medicaludstudents' construction of knowledge about maternity care. These were explored anduddiscussed. The thesis concludes with recommendations for increasing opportunities forudIPE in the medical and midwifery curricula.