Division of Community Women's Health

Eleni Eren, Summer 2015

My goal this summer was to have an experience that encouraged growth as an individual and a future physician. Interning with the Division of Community Women's Health in the UC Department of ObGyn fulfilled this goal. As an intern, I spent most of my time shadowing at one of seven urban clinics. I was at a different location each morning and afternoon, and I shadowed different nurse practitioners and physicians daily as well. The opportunity to gain clinical experience from multiple providers' perspectives was invaluable. Each provider addressed similar medical situations uniquely, but the interactions never felt forced. I realized that developing a style that reflects my personality is important for building authentic relationships with the patients. Gaining experience with the patient population to build relationships with these individuals was another benefit of interning with the Division of Community Women's Health. I am interested in working with underserved populations, and working at the urban clinics exposed me to the social determinants of health that affect these women daily.

My final project of the summer involved exploring how the provider integrated Reproductive Life Planning into their appointments. A Reproductive Life Plan (RLP) is a tool that women could use to plan out their lives during their reproductive years from 12-44. It encompasses career goals, reproduction planning, and mental health, as well as physical health. Currently, there is not much research on the impact of Reproductive Life Planning on unintended pregnancy rates, but it could potentially help women focus on the steps they need to take in order to avoid unintended pregnancy and reach their goals in life. In terms of my project, I documented what aspects of a RLP were discussed during provider/patient encounters, and presented the findings to the providers of the Division of Community Women's Health. The goal of my presentation was to bring awareness to the existence of the RLP and which aspects of the RLP healthcare providers could integrate into their appointments. In summary, I believe that OB/GYN providers can have a direct impact on unintended pregnancies by providing reproduction and contraception counseling. However, patients who are already sexually active and just now seeking birth control are already at risk. I think earlier interventions are needed to help reduce unintended and teen pregnancies, and a RLP could be such a tool. More research is needed to determine how and when a RLP could be used as well as its efficacy.

In addition to the clinical experience and final project, I had weekly readings and assignments that supplemented my learning in the clinic. Each week covered a different theme such as race, underserved immigrants, culture, and gender. One of these assignments involved building a relationship with a tobacco cessation patient. I telephoned the patient throughout the summer to discuss her pregnancy and how tobacco cessation felt for her. We discussed her obstacles and motivations, and why tobacco cessation was important for her and her kids. This was a unique experience for me and allowed me to learn more about a patient outside of the clinical setting. Although I'll never know what impact I had on her, I know she made me more aware of the patient as an individual, a lesson that I always want to be reminded of going forward.

Lastly, I worked at the Health Department once a week. My summer project for the Health Department involved extracting data from the medical records of teens who have used the Reproductive Health and Wellness Program. This program provides contraception counseling and free contraception to women. The goal of the project is to see how the Reproductive Health and Wellness Program impacts contraceptive use of sexually active teens in the urban communities.

I loved being involved in the health of my community this summer, especially at risk populations. I have learned about the burden unplanned and teenage pregnancy can have on the health of the individual as well as the health care system as a whole. This experience has motivated me to continue to help with programs that are striving to reduce unplanned pregnancy and teenage pregnancy. There is much opportunity to improve sexual education and empower women within the field of reproductive health and continuing this work would be very fulfilling for me.