Trauma-informed Medical Education in Ob-Gyn: Reducing Harm and Enhancing Learning
by Laura Baecher-Lind, M.D., MPH; Katherine Lackritz, M.D.; Jonathan Schaffir, M.D. | June 15, 2026
Article Citation: Royce CS, Sonn T, Baecher-Lind L, Chen KT, Fleming A, Kim C, Patel S, Saint Louis H, Schaffir J, Madani Sims S, Stephenson-Famy A, Sutton JM. Integrating trauma-informed approaches into obstetrics and gynecology medical education: a framework for safer learning and care. Am J Obstet Gynecol, 2026; 291-296 doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2025.10.033.
What is this article about?
Medical students experience trauma at the same rate as the general population. Over half of matriculating medical students report experiencing adverse childhood events. Trauma, which may occur prior to or during their medical education, can be triggered during the course of medical education given the sensitive and potentially retraumatizing nature of medical care. Retraumatizing events during medical education can increase student stress and burnout and can reduce learning capacity and student success. Trauma-informed medical education (TIME) is an extension of trauma-informed care (TIC). Specifically, TIME relies upon similar principles of TIC, including avoiding re-traumatization, emphasizing safety, autonomy, and empowerment, and enhancing learning agency in educational experiences. As a consequence, students may experience fewer psychosocial stressors during their educational experiences and may therefore retain knowledge and clinical skills more readily.
This Special Report provides an overview of the concept of TIME and how educators can adopt aspects of TIME into their educational programs, to both increase student safety and well-being and to enhance learning capacity and learner success. While the authors recognize that obstetrics and gynecology training is an experience with high potential for provoking trauma, the framework explained is relevant to all aspects of undergraduate medical education.
Why should you read the article?
The concept of trauma or re-traumatization during medical education is fairly new to many, as is taking a trauma-informed approach to medical education experiences. This article provides a concise overview of the principles of TIME, explaining how enhancing learner empowerment can lead to not only more psychological safety and improved well-being of learners but enhanced educational outcomes. Importantly, it provides concrete suggestions for how educators and faculty can implement a TIME approach into both pre-clerkship and clerkship experiences.
How can you use this article?
The article may be shared with educators from any department to encourage them to be aware of the frequency of learner experiences with trauma. They may be inspired by the article’s suggestions to introduce subtle changes within clerkships and other educational experiences to mitigate secondary harm from participating and witnessing traumatizing experiences in medical education.
Review Authors: Laura Baecher-Lind, M.D., MPH; Dean of Educational Affairs and Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA (Co-authored with Dr. Katherine Lackritz, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA; and Dr. Jonathan Schaffir, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH). Organization: Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics