The Impact of Trainee Nationality on Patient Acceptance of Obstetrics and Gynecology Care: A Chinese Study

Phenomenon: China is a relatively homogenous nation where the majority of people are Han Chinese. In recent years, a large number of international students have begun to study medicine in China. Due to the privacy and intimacy associated with obstetrical and gynecological diseases, Chinese women's acceptance toward international students' involvement in their care has not been reported thus far. This survey aims (1) to determine Chinese women's attitudes toward both Chinese and international medical student involvements in obstetrical and gynecological outpatient departments and (2) to investigate possible reasons, if any, for their rejection of the medical students. Approach: We conducted a cross-sectional survey study using a locally-developed questionnaire. The survey was conducted in the obstetrical and gynecological outpatient department of a tertiary hospital in a Chinese harbor city. We surveyed 600 patients for their attitudes towards the involvement of four groups of medical student in clinical practice: Chinese female, International female, Chinese male, and International male. Among the returned questionnaires, 501 satisfied the criteria for analysis. Findings: Patient's acceptance rates of the four groups of students (Chinese female, International female, Chinese male, and International male) were 59.7%, 55.9%, 32.1%, and 25.9%, respectively. Analysis revealed that language barriers and lack of friendliness were the two main reasons leading to patients' low acceptance rates of international students. Insights: Obstetrical and gynecological patients are more likely to accept female students over male students, regardless of their nationality, however International male students receive the least acceptance. For international students, improving their Chinese language skills and using more friendly expressions may facilitate their practice in China.