Helping Medical Students Help Survivors of Domestic Violence

Abstract

Notes that growing awareness of the scope of domestic violence has spawned efforts to expand relevant curricula in medical schools, but progress has been uneven. It is argued that while the number of medical schools requiring education on intimate partner violence increased by 18% over the last 7 yrs, instruction still primarily occurs during the preclinical years and is often forgotten on the wards. The authors contend that in order to be effective, an intimate partner violence curriculum should be concise and should highlight the effectiveness of intervention. A 3rd yr 'inter-clerkship' designed by the University of Massachusetts that satisfies these criteria is mentioned. Resistance to involving medical students in the care of survivors and the role of medical students in caring for survivors of violence are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved)