EMS Students Report Educational Challenges in Obstetric and Gynecologic Emergency Training

Emergency medical services students and recent graduates experience substantial educational barriers in preparing for obstetric and gynecologic emergencies, centered on an overarching disconnect between their educational preparation and the real-world demands of clinical practice. In a qualitative study published in BMC Medical Education, researchers conducted semi-structured interviews between September and December 2025 with 14 purposively selected undergraduate students and recent graduates who had a mean age of 22.0 ± 1.3 years.

Data were analyzed using conventional qualitative content analysis facilitated by MAXQDA software and structured according to the coding and categorization approach described by Hsieh and Shannon. The analysis generated 1,532 initial codes, 37 subcategories, six primary categories, and one higher-order category entitled “Disconnects Between Educational Preparation and the Real-World Demands of Obstetric and Gynecologic Emergencies.” The six identified categories comprised challenges in educational content and approaches, barriers and deficiencies in clinical education and practical skills, communication and cultural barriers in the clinical environment, resource and support limitations, challenges in motivation and educational justice, and management and transparency challenges in educational processes.

Based on these findings, the study authors concluded that practical educational reforms are needed to strengthen the preparedness of emergency medical services students to deliver safe and effective care. The proposed interventions include curriculum refinement, expanded clinical exposure, increased utilization of simulation-based and experiential learning, enhanced educational resources and supervision, and gender-sensitive communication training.

Subject of Research: Educational challenges in emergency medical services training for obstetric and gynecologic emergencies

Article Title: Educational challenges in teaching obstetric and gynecologic emergencies: perspectives of EMS students

Article References: Ghazanfarpour, M., Mahmodi, M., Bamorovat, Z., Malekiyeh, A., Irani, M., Ghanizadeh, P., & Mirzaee, F. (2026). Educational challenges in teaching obstetric and gynecologic emergencies: perspectives of EMS students. BMC Medical Education. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-026-10789-4

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1186/s12909-026-10789-4

Keywords: emergency medical services, EMS education, obstetric emergencies, gynecologic emergencies, qualitative content analysis, clinical education, medical simulation, curriculum reform, Educational, challenges, teaching, obstetric