update on 'No contraception = ignorance".

Further to my post on the unfair treatment I recieved from the GP who marked me down because I said I would never prescribe contraception...

I wrote in my letter of complaint to the guy in charge of our GP Course, and he got in touch with the GP in question, and then made me meet up with him so we could talk about it.

Basically, the GP in question claims that he gave me a lower score because he wasn't satified with the way in which I said I would explain to 14 year old girls that I wouldn't prescribe them the pill.
On the orginal day when this all happened 2 weeks ago, and after showing me how I would be (apparently) contravening the 'Duties of a Doctor', he said "What would you say to a 14 year old girl then if she came in and asked you for the pill?".

And apparently his excuse is that it was the actual wording that caused him to mark me down.

I don't believe him one bit and I am convinced beyond any doubt that no matter WHAT wording I used, he would still have marked me down.
At the time he didn't try to correct what I said and imporve it, or say anything about being unsatisfied with it. He just listened, and then said that because of "this issue" he'd 'have' to give me a lower score

He used the wording excuse because he knows that it would actually be illegal descrimination for him to mark me down because of my beliefs in themselves, because I am fully entitled to them, and am fully entitled to act on them ( I know some Catholic GPs in England who don't prescribe contraception).

And anyway, even his 'not satisfied with the wording' excuse is rubbish, because it is unjustified to expect a 4th year medical student with no practical experience whatsoever in these situations to have a perfectly formed 'speech' and explanation about such a thing.

Explaining our position to patients is not part of our course at the moment and it is not something that we are expected to have done or to be able to do. He was just supposed to give me a 'Knowledge' score based on my knowledge of the CORE CURRICULUM that I have been taught that compare to my peers. By all means, if we were being assessed on our ability to explain our positions on sexual issues to patients then yes, of course it would be appropriate. But as it stands he was supposed to assess me on my ability to perform cardiovascular, respiratory, abdominal and neurological examinations on patients and nothing else!

The guy in charge of the course agreed with me that it is unfair but apparently they 'have a policy' of not changing grades once they have been given. Not that I am particularly motivated by getting my grade changed, but still. He didn't do anything to rectify the situation, given that he admitted to me that the GP had no justification.

oh well! This is probably just a small taste of what is to come!

St Gianna - Pray for us!