Browsing by Author "Jeffries, Alison"

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    Fetal Injury from Maternal Penetrating Abdominal Trauma in Pregnancy
    (2023-03-24) Barron, Emily; Jeffries, Alison; Pelton, Sarah; Vogel, Katherine; Byrne, Bobbi
    Relevant Background Information: Pregnant women are particularly vulnerable to abuse, and trauma during pregnancy is the leading cause of non-obstetric maternal mortality. Penetrating abdominal trauma, which is less common than blunt trauma, is associated with higher rates of fetal injury and mortality. Case Description: We report a rare case of penetrating abdominal trauma that resulted in fetal injury following child-to-parent violence. A male infant was born at 36+4 weeks gestation via emergent cesarean section following multiple maternal abdominal stab wounds, one of which penetrated the uterus. Upon arrival at the emergency department, fetal heart tracing displayed decelerations. The infant was delivered with Apgar scores of 7 and 8 at 1 and 5 minutes, respectively. Exam revealed a 1.5 cm laceration over his left buttock, 2 cm from the anus, penetrating 1-2 cm into his subcutaneous tissue. He was transferred to a nearby children’s hospital for surgical evaluation where his wound was inspected, irrigated with normal saline, and reapproximated with sutures. Barium enema study demonstrated no evidence of rectal perforation, and brain MRI was normal without evidence of head trauma. He was discharged at 4 days old and has remained well; no significant issues were noted by his pediatrician at 19 months of age. Conclusions: This case demonstrates the importance of immediate cesarean delivery in a penetrating injury to a gravid woman experiencing fetal distress. Following delivery, a thorough evaluation of the infant is imperative to identify and treat any non-obvious traumatic injuries. Clinical Significance: In addition to harming the mother, physical injury can potentially jeopardize the pregnancy and fetus’ health and may lead to separation during a critical period for mother-baby bonding. Healthcare providers should work to identify women during the antenatal period who are at risk of interpersonal violence and facilitate access to resources and interventions.
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    Investigating Leadership Beliefs Among Medical Students Before and After Women's Physician Panel
    (2023-04-28) Jeffries, Alison; Ayub, Jinan; Jauregui, Alexa; Kendrick, Sara; Stout, Julianne
    BACKGROUND While the number of female medical student graduates and residents continues to rise, women still hold a minority of visible leadership positions in medicine. Many factors are at play such as personal values, time commitment, and experience, which influence applying for and obtaining such positions. STUDY OBJECTIVE Our goal was to investigate the ways students can serve as leaders and learn from women physician role models who have held a variety of formal and informal positions. This study was designed to understand medical students’ perspectives of leadership and how beliefs may change after attending a women’s physician panel. METHODS Phase 1 medical students completed anonymous surveys before and after attending a one-hour “Women in Leadership” panel featuring three women physicians at different career stages. During the event, two audience participation activities were performed. The first involved students generating a digital word cloud using words they selected to describe characteristics of good leaders, and the second was ranking values they deemed important based on results from Barrett's Personal Value Assessment. The pre-survey collected demographic information and asked participants to define leadership. The post-survey asked them to define leadership again, questioned how the panel altered their views on women in leadership, and for one main takeaway from the panel. Both surveys asked participants to indicate the extent to which they agreed with seven statements regarding their opinions about leadership positions, their own leadership abilities, leadership opportunities, and how their values affect their career goals. RESULTS There were 15 attendees at the panel, and thirteen individuals completed both the pre- and post-surveys with 85% identifying as female and 15% identifying as male. In both surveys, all respondents agreed or strongly agreed that it is important for women to be in visible leadership roles. When defining leadership after the panel, there was greater emphasis on confidence, active listening, and integrity. Five out of 13 participants reported feeling more confident in being in a leadership role after the panel, while eight reported no increase or no change in confidence. Additionally, when comparing post-survey to pre-survey results, six out of 13 respondents reported an increase in how often they think about how their values impact their career goals, while six respondents reported no change, and one respondent reported a decrease. Key takeaways from the panel included giving oneself more grace, how leadership is a skill that can be developed, advocating for oneself and others, and “I can be a leader.” These results aligned with common themes shared by the panelists, including maintaining a growth mindset, becoming comfortable with managing conflicts, and manifesting leadership qualities without an official title. CONCLUSION This study emphasizes the importance of women physicians serving as leaders and sharing their experiences with medical students. Discussing qualities of leadership, reflecting on one’s personal values, and listening to women physicians share their stories can help students develop a better understanding of how they can serve as leaders, with or without a title, throughout all stages of their medical training.