Assisting/Observing Abortion.

[CookieMonster07]

I've searched the forum to see if this has been discussed prior yet with no prevail!!
My own beliefs and experiences have led me to be, in a nutshell, anti-abortion. I wont go into the logistics of why and where and what ifs but as a personal choice I would be reluctant to assit in an abortion as a medical proffesional. Observation of the procedure would not be a problem yet I was wondering if there is any exemption to assist in abortion as a student. Obviously, if such an exemption didn't exist I would have to bite my tongue and go through with it but am curious to know if other medical students have been faced with the same or similar circumstances!

[Clarkey]

I very much doubt it would ever be a problem. As a medical student I wasn't allowed to see abortion procedures (at least where I was) and since doctors do not have to perform them if the don't want to there is no reason why you would have to. If there was a situation where an abortion was going to take place you would know before hand and if you had a problem you could simply ask to observe. I really can't seem them getting you to assist because you would need consent just to observe and that is a tricky area in the emotional circumstances.

[belis]

I would seriously doubt if you were asked to assist in any significant way. It is a surgical procedure and doctor doing it will have their qualified assistants with them. They would not be relaying on a student. You may be offered an opportunity to scrub in but if you don't want to then I am sure that there will be plenty of other students who will jump at the opportunity. I don't know how it is at other teaching hospitals but over hear you need to get out of your way to be allowed to assist in procedures. None is deffinitly forcing you to do anything like that.

[Lizzie-Beth]

I am sure it's an optional observation - at least it was a few years ago. I remember a consultant telling us that he personally refused involvement and urged us to stand by our views (whatever they may be). You should never have to bite your tongue and go through with it when dealing with something like this.

[mrcarrots]

Don't think it would be a problem. I inadvertently ended up in theatre for a STOP a few weeks ago. I very politely explained I would prefer not to be present and that was fine. I just waited outside and went in for the following ops.

Btw belis up in aberdeen it is quite different, we get to assist quite lot

[Gizmo says -]

you can always offer to elp clean up afterwards, mind.

[heed]

have been involved in quite a few from an anaesthetics point of view, and there were always students in who were doing O+G. All of us were always asked if we had any objection to being involved - those who did were told to come back later and that was the end of it. No big deal.

[Fried_Rice]

Yeah same story here: even observation was optional, and when I did O&G a few people decided to opt out and there was no issues made over this at all.

[Singh.Simran]

Shame, really.

[Diya]

I have never come across a surgical abortion being carried out, not even during O&G (maybe in Bham its not done as often as elsewhere) but you never have to take part in anything you morally object to unless it's a skill all competent doctors MUST have to be registered by the GMC. Abortion is definitely not a necessary skill