This year, Medical Students for Choice is celebrating its 30th year of operation as an umbrella organization that has over 220 chapters in medical schools around the world. One of those chapters is at the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, or OUHCOM. OUHCOM’s chapter works to provide reproductive rights education to future physicians and actively makes a difference in the medical school regarding abortions.
Medical Students for Choice started in 1993 as a form of advocacy in the abortion rights movement. At that time, there was little education in medical schools about the potential health risks of abortions or how to perform them in general. Since then, Medical Students for Choice has strived to provide information on all aspects of reproductive health care and expand knowledge of abortions in medical schools.
Jane Balbo is a doctor of osteopathic medicine and the Assistant Professor of Family Medicine at OUHCOM. She said Medical Students for Choice began at OU when she was in medical school, but more than one individual’s involvement helped it become the organization it is today.
“This organization’s most recent iteration was started by Tiffany Stainfield, who is an ER doctor in Michigan,” Dr. Balbo said in an email.
Involvement in Medical Students for Choice at OU has ebbed and flowed over the years, but recently, the organization’s strong executive board keeps it alive.
Alyson Johnson is a second-year medical student and the president of Medical Students for Choice in OUHCOM. She aims to put on at least three events a semester to educate future providers about reproductive rights. Some of these events include IUD workshops, sex education nights, abortion documentary screenings and book clubs to further education on family planning.
“We provide the IUD training and we do the abortion workshop which is teaching you how to perform an abortion … just to give you context to see if this is something you might want to do as a provider,” Johnson said.
Medical Students for Choice produces hands-on experiences to help familiarize medical students with reproductive health procedures. For example, abortion workshops are performed on papayas and dragon fruits to represent how one would work in a medical setting.
“I think a lot of people think of abortion as this big scary topic that they don’t like to talk about sometimes,” Johnson said. “So when we do these workshops … they realize ‘Oh wow, this isn’t that different.’”
Not only does this organization provide education to future physicians, but it also advocates for people with uteruses in the medical school community. Education on reproductive rights is still limited within medical schools, so Medical Students for Choice writes to senators and members of Congress to create change within the political and education system.
“We are working with the overarching organization with fundraising efforts and fundraising for the Ohio Abortion Fund,” Johnson said.
No matter what specialization a medical student may choose, Medical Students for Choice is a way for students to take initiative in their education and gain more knowledge on controversial topics such as abortions. Hailey Wilson is a second-year medical student who serves as the vice president and runs the social media for OUHCOM Medical Students for Choice. She said the firsthand interactions she’s had with medical professionals have taught her a lot.
“I like having a community of progressive, like-minded colleagues,” Wilson said. “Having those super interactive, hands-on learning experiences that we don’t get inside the classroom is a great advantage of (Medical Students for Choice).”
