is this a joke? The lifestyle and business once out in practice is HORRIFIC and is driving most obgyns from business owners to subservient lackies of big hospitals.
This is the field most in crisis in all of medicine.
You have:
1.) extender creep from midwives
2.) near total female domination of the field now and the accompanying lifestyle decisions from their own desire to have kids
3.) absurd around the clock demands that no one could possibly meet
4.) Crazy John Edwards-type attorneys suing you for everything from "My Kid will never play in the NBA" to "My kid is of below average IQ and its YOUR fault!!"
5.) Crazy colleagues due to #1-4
6.) Even more crazy colleagues who's sole mission in life is to perform more abortions than Kermit Gosnell
Its beyond crazy. I can only imagine you are posting this to taunt them Oncology dude, oh master of the 9-5 Bankers' Hours.
Thanks for the insightful comments. Clearly my perception of the field after 9 years along with many of my colleagues is wrong compared with your assessment.
With respect to your points:
1. Mid-level providers have a growing presence in every specialty with the direction medicine is moving in, not just this specialty. However, keep in mind that there is a lot more to OB/GYN than just deliveries and well-woman exams.
2. This is yet again an example of the sexist attitude faced in our culture toward women. I am a male in this field, have female partners who "shockingly have decided to have a family," and can wholeheartedly tell you that it didn't make the decision to pursue this field "horrific" as you claim.
3. I'm sure you've heard of group practices and call-schedules.
4. Litigation is always a possibility. If you practice good medicine, it'll work itself out. At the end of the day, if you're choosing this field or declining it based on litigation alone, then you should seriously re-evaluate your interest in the field in the first place.
5. Profound assessment!
6. This one is just simply too shallow to even address.
Nevertheless, I thank you for venturing away from your solid presence on the Pathology forum to the lowly OB/GYN one to share your wonderful views on our specialty.
Good luck!