Dear Med Student or Resident: Maybe you can identify with the student writing the following letter: Dear AAPLOG, I started my Ob/Gyn rotation in medical school today. We were told by our preceptor that we have to work a day at a local Planned Parenthood during the rotation. Another student and I are going to try to talk to the preceptor about it and request an alternative assignment like a crisis pregnancy center. Any advice? What would you advise this student? Email us you advice or experience. For starters, several of our board members had the following comments: They would not consider a crisis pregnancy center a valid medical rotation, I would volunteer to go to a community health center, STD clinic, etc. I agree with the Community Health Center or STD Clinic as an acceptable alternatives to present. If the school insists that (the student) spend a day at Planned Parenthood, and they won’t allow an alternative, tell him to go. He can see for himself what an abortion mill looks like, and if he gets a chance, he can discretely suggest to a patient that she might want to consider a second opinion at a crisis pregnancy center, or at least request an ultrasound. He should ask to sit in on a counseling session and learn firsthand what is not covered and how few options are discussed. Send him our list (at www.aaplog.org, see “abortion complications”) of abortion complications so he can ask intelligent and probing questions of the staff, preferably in front of a patient. When he gets home, he may want to scrub with Lava soap under very hot water for about 2 hours. I was a med student and a GYN resident at the cities “Abortion hospital” including Saline, Intracardiac Potassium, etc…for no reason other than convenience. The Chair, vice chair, and many private abortionists hated me. They were unable to touch me however based on the grace of God. The way I survived the harassment was to be very careful to do the following: 1. Have an honorable life stance. No room for controversy such as vulgarity, disrespect of women and patients, disrespect to professors (that is what they do to us thus they expect we will do the same to them…don’t do it) 2. Read…Study…Be smarter and medically better than your peers. 3. Work longer hours to be sure you know the patients and their issues and Differential diagnoses etc. THEN you have their respect Now you need to know the facts 4. Learn the facts. That is…The EVIDENCE BASED MEDICINE that medical school so loves to hold as the standard of intelligent medical decision making. Excellent sources include: aaplog.org web site where peer reviewed journal articles give you great medical info to “share” with others…including the patients! AUL.org gives accurate info regarding the laws that govern…or don’t…the abortion industry. When people see that the abortion industry fights Informed Consent (the great standard for patient autonomy and “choice”), but actually give woefully inadequate information in their consent process, it opens some eyes (except for those who choose to be willfully blind). I had great pleasure in reading and quoting from the writings of Planned Parenthoods research arm..The Guttmacher Institute..Back in the late 80’s they published their own study that showed that 30% of their own patients, after being aborted, stated that they came to pp to KEEP their pregnancies and felt THEY were coerced !!! This was great! Pro-choice? Whose choice when 30% are forced against their will to abort. 5. At that time…everyone was wearing prochoice pins etc…So, I wore the little feet pins !!! great to start conversation. To be successful, remember, you are on the front lines of this war. Know your enemy. Know how to persuade those around you. Be courageous, trust God for the rest. (from the New York theater of war). If you have experiences or advice that would be helpful to students and residents facing this situation, please email comments to us. Just hit “reply” to do this. We will honor your privacy and not print your name or email address. Thanks.