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Ob/Gyn
Why did you choose your area of specialty?
I found that I like many different aspects of medicine, I like medical as well
as surgical care, I like acute situations as well as preventative care. In
Ob/Gyn, you really do get to practice many types of medicine. As well, the
skills you learn as an Ob/Gyn are applicable all over the world. You have the
ability to make a significant impact on health using just your eyes, your
hands, and your judgment.
What is the best part of the job?
There are so many things to choose from…
Operating in the OR, following an interesting endocrine problem, developing a
good relationship with a patient or delivering babies are all amazing,
challenging and fun.
What is the worst part of the job?
This is a job where you will always have to do call in the hospital. If a
Hospital has OB coverage, they need to have an Ob/Gyn there 24/7. As well,
Ob/Gyns are one of the most sued medical practitioners.
What patient population do you work with?
All females, ranging from children
with genetic disorders to elderly women with cancer, and everything in between.
What type of technical things do you do during the day?
In any given day, you may be doing elective surgical cases in the OR, delivering
babies, taking biopsies, checking for cervical cancer or performing emergency
surgery.
What type of patient interactions do you have during the day?
Lots of teaching and preventative care. You spend a lot of time with both
patients you have known for years and those referred to you for the first time.
With many patients, you will get to know quite a bit about their
family/personal life.
How is your day divided? Eg. time in clinic, rounding, in OR, house
calls, consults
Every day is different. Most ob/gyns run a couple of clinics, for example a
prenatal clinic and a general gyn clinic. Some also have a colposcopy clinic,
which is where those with suspected cervical cancer are followed. You also
usually have one day in the OR a week, operating on your elective surgical
patients, and a day or more on call, where you cover emergency gyn situations
(such as an ectopic pregnancy or ovarian torsion) and labour and delivery. Some
Ob/gyns also cover their own obstetric patients in labour during the day, and
will leave their clinics to do a delivery.
What type of person is well suited for your area of specialty?
Someone who is
empathic, a quick thinker, and technically skilled.
What advice would you give to someone interested in your job?
Go into medical
school for the right reasons. Find out if you are comfortable in intensely
emotional or stressful situations. Do electives in Ob/Gyn, but also make sure
you explore other areas to enhance your “well-roundedness.” Try
volunteering at planned parenthood or a rape crisis centre to develop a better
understanding of the scope of issues you will encounter as an Ob/Gyn