Introduction:

Undergraduate medical training involves both theoretical and practical learnings, with university hospitals being the main practice setting. In consultations involving issues of patient intimacy, embarrassment is a possibility. This may compromise the quality of care and/or medical training.

Objective:

The objective of this study was to investigate the psycho-affective aspects of gynecological consultation, based on the patients’ perceptions, in order to find elements to help shape medical education toward humanized care.

Method:

This is an observational, cross-sectional, qualitative study, carried out in the gynecology outpatient clinic of a university hospital. Outpatient users who were in the waiting room for gynecological care were included, representing a sample for accessibility. Data collection took place between the months of February and August 2021 through a semi-structured interview with previously prepared guiding questions. A total of 50 interviews were conducted, which were later transcribed and analyzed by the IRaMuTeQ software.

Result:

From the perspective of the patients, the gynecological consultation involves two main spheres of interest: the medical-gynaecological assistance given to them and the teaching-learning aimed at students. Within this division, two perspectives emerge: firstly, that which draws on the personal demand and, secondly, that which considers the interest of the other (the student). In the discourses on medical- gynecological assistance, the speakers focus on themselves, on the embarrassment experienced during the assistance. In the discourses on the teaching and learning of the students, the speakers primarily focus on the importance of clinical practice in medical training. Thus, there is an intersection between “the care provided to me” and the “other’s teaching-learning process”. The patient’s embarrassment seems to be overcome in favour of a greater goal: to contribute to the training of future doctors.

Conclusion:

Despite the embarrassment experienced in gynecological consultation in an academic environment, the users’ understanding of their contribution to medical education promotes a collaborative attitude, which is found to facilitate care in this scenario. The attenuation of the embarrassment was also found to be proportional to the experience of the woman in this type of care.

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