Pelvic examination including vaginal digital examination and speculum inspection are crucial skills for cervical cancer screening [1], but also to diagnose several gynecologic disorders [2], causes for vaginal bleeding or pain [3], and also to diagnose women in labor [4,5]. Performing a pelvic examination is therefore important for all graduating medical students, regardless of their specialty choice [6,7]. However, teaching pelvic examination is challenging for both professors and students [7]. Indeed, its intimate nature can prompt negative feelings such as awkwardness for the practician and discomfort for patients [7]. Moreover, ethical issues with patient consent for student examinations were raised [8,9].

Consequently, education in the field of obstetrics and gynecology had to address those problems and has progressively shifted from a traditional approach including lectures and teaching in the clinical setting on patients to a simulation-enhanced education [10]. The adage “never the first time on a patient” has become more and more obvious, as well as the teaching of soft skills and correct attitudes with the patient [11].

However, a comprehensive assessment of these training interventions, their outcomes and level of evidence has not yet been conducted in France. The findings of such a systematic review may be relevant to guide the curricula and to improve student, teacher, and patient comfort with it. We therefore sought to investigate the level of evidence for those not-so-new training modalities, including pelvic task trainers and gynecologic teaching associates (GTAs) and offer guidelines for teaching in our faculties and local hospitals.