Patient
Let me start off by saying my initial sonogram visit with Jessica went pleasantly well. In fact, I was looking forward to the next visit. I arrived at 8:00am and was instructed to wait for Jessica in room 6. I was then told plans have changed and I was moved to another room. Upon arrival, a different sonogram tech--Mari and a MALE student was already waiting in the other room. (The student was already in the room without my knowledge or consent!) I entered the room and was TOLD (NOT ASKED) that a student would be involved in the visit. She further TOLD me that he would be doing a few scans after her for practice. I CLEARLY expressed I was not comfortable with this. I did not want my baby exposed to additional scans for teaching purposes. I told her that I did NOT want the time the baby is being exposed to ultrasound heat and wave frequency to exceed normal procedure due to a teaching lesson....I wanted it to be at minimum ... not to be elongated for someone's educational purposes. My baby is not to be someone's teaching lesson!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was at a SPECIALIST OFFICE -- NOT A STUDENT TRAINING CENTER. I did not want a student...much less a male student in the room with me. This is a violation of patient privacy! This was very unprofessional of the facility and of the sonogram tech to assume this was okay. Why did the plans change? Why was the student already in the room prior to even asking for my consent??? Why was a blindsided by this? Why didn't Jessica assist me as planned??? Mari the Sonogram tech pushed on and stated "Fine he will only observe". I stopped arguing with her because it was obvious she was not going to respect my refusal and my blood pressure was already boiling! I should have got up right then and there and walked out, but I needed this Sonogram to find out if the baby is okay. I am not there for student training purposes -- I was there for a SPECIALIST TO ATTEND TO ME AND MY UNBORN CHILD! The male student was not an intern, he was a STUDENT involved in a program at the local university. I did not feel comfortable with her pulling my pants exposing my pubic area to a male student either! I was extremely uncomfortable and I expressed that to Mari several times! She simply disregarded me and pressed on! In her conversation with the student...she told him that she needed to take a second look at the umbilical cord. Hearing that made me very anxious and I turned to her and asked "what is wrong with the cord..talk to me not the student!" She then told me I needed to talk to the Doctor. I was clearly upset during the procedure as she continued to focus on the student and not me as the patient. I interrupted her in a firm tone of voice and expressed to her AGAIN, I was NOT comfortable with the way this procedure was being done with the student. I told her I felt that she was focusing on the student and not me and the baby. She had little conversation with me and did not talk me through the sonogram procedure. She did not explain anything to ME only to the student. I felt as if I was robbed of my visit-- what was supposed to be a PROFESSIONAL VISIT, NOT A STUDENT LESSON SESSION!!!! How dare the facility even charge my insurance and me a copay for this! Any pregnant women needing to go to a Fetal Specialist should be treated with care and concern. They are at a specialist office because of a CONCERN and should not be subjected to student observation and student practices. This facility needs to be strictly professional. In addition, having students practice ultrasounds on patients and exposing a baby to additional time of ultrasound waves is placing the unborn child in potential harm!!! I will not be returning to do any further Ultrasounds.