By Kat Wentworth
In the mid 1980’s, GTA education was still new. A program had just started at New Jersey Medical School with the Department of Ob/Gyn and Women’s Health. Judi Marraccini was the second GTA to work in the program. When she became the program director in 1990, her contribution to the growth of GTA education, not only at University of Medicine and Dentistry New Jersey (UMDNJ) but at schools all across the state of New Jersey, was substantial. She was a pioneer of the OSCE in New Jersey and was one of the first coordinators in the country to utilize GTAs to proctor and evaluate breast and pelvic exam stations. She developed the MUTA program at UMDNJ and began to digitize program materials creating interactive training CD-ROMs for program learners.
Judi was active in ASPE almost since its inception. Most recently, she was a member of the GTA/MUTA Special Interest Group (SIG) and the Pubs and Webs Committee, contributing valuable articles to the ASPE newsletter. Judi acted as the SIG’s Audio-Visual Subcommittee Chair. With the help of Kat Wentworth, Judi developed a Female Pelvic Exam power point presentation utilizing the Wondrous Vulva Puppet (http://houseochicks.com/puppets/index.html). It was her intention that anyone, anywhere, even in areas where visualization of female genitalia is culturally taboo, would have a tool to be able to create training presentations for students, faculty and/or GTAs.
Judi Marraccini is an advocate for women’s rights and women’s health issues. She has spoken at numerous conferences and health symposiums about issues vital to women’s health such as domestic violence, sexual assault and lesbian health care to name a few. Throughout it all, she has remained dedicated to all things GTA! Judi has indeed left an indelible mark in the field of GTA education in the more than two decades she has been active in the field. Her energy, innovative nature and spark will be dearly missed.
The SIG would like to thank her for all she has done to bring the world of GTA/MUTA to the forefront of medical student education and would like to wish her joy and laughter in her retirement.
GTA-MUTA SIG
(Pelvic exam presentation is available to ASPE members.)
Judi was a member of the Publications and Website committee in addition to her work on the GTA-MUTA SIG, and will be missed!
ASPE News 