Advise for incoming OB/GYN PGY-1's

[MichiMO]

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There is a thread on the general residency forum page with tips for the incoming interns, however, I found a lot of this does not pertain to OB/GYN.

Anyone who has been through the fun times to come care to share anything they wish they had known before starting out?

Thanks from all the anxious ones!

 

[grayce79]

My fast tips:

Always wear a face shield in the OR or during deliveries.

Never run towards people screaming "Oh my God it's coming out" without first grabbing a pair of gloves.

Never, never actually do the whiff test. Just look for the clue cells- that should be plenty of evidence.

Never correct your upper levels/attendings.

Remember to always at least pretend to be empathetic towards your patients with back pain, swelling, round ligament pain, etc. Most of the time you can't make their pain go away but you can make them feel better by validating what they are going through.

Enjoy being a 4th year med student to the fullest so that you can daydream about it while you are an intern retracting the uterus during a 4 hour laparoscopic hysterectomy.

 

[FormerOB]

You have chosen the best specialty to pursue...

I can say that honestly as a man... Women are the most extraordinay creations God came up with...very sensitive, very beautiful...

Treat them with respect, empathy (sympathy in my case), learn more about them and respect them...

I have never doubted my decision, despite all that you may hear from people that say you should never do OBGYN...

 

[RossFamily]

keep your mouth shut and walk away....

don't argue with an attending or senior...

keep your mouth shut and walk away.... (didn't i already say that one?)

 

[MichiMO]

Any more out there? Please share your new found wisdom from all your sweat and tears 🙂

 

[pruritis_ani]

1. Get plenty of rest when not on call
2. Read a little bit every day
3. Know when to ask for help
4. Do NOT be the lazy intern. Get up and see your patients. It is very bad form to have the upper year (or, worse, the attending) to beat you to that q 2hr cervical check at 0300. You will be surprised at when the attendings go to check on the floor....
5. Do NOT be the intern that dumps on your co-residents. Do whatever work you get stuck with, and do it with a smile. It sucks to get that new Ob pt, or stuck with an H&P at the end of the day. Do not put this off to the next poor sap that gets the pt. No matter what you do, you will wind up with the crap, as a resident in general, but especially as an intern. If you do it with a smile, you will quickly gain the appreciation of staff and upper years....hard workers and good attitudes are rare, and are very well appreciated.
6. Your call will be 90% OB, in most cases. Learn how to deal with preterm labor, PPROM and preeclampsia. Learn to synchronize your labor checks, so at least you can hope for 1-2 hours of nap. Learn how to get babies OUT before midnight.
7. Triage is not a place for lengthy work ups. Meet 'em and street 'em, or admit them to have a baby.
8. Educate your patients every time you see them in clinic. Especially what to expect between then and the next time they come to clinic, as well as what is an appropriate reason to call the M.D on call. It will save you endless pages and triage visits in the middle of the night for back pain or round ligament pain.
9. Truly, it is a good year. Enjoy it. You are there to work your ass off, and in exchange you will learn a lot. Be diligent at both, take responsibility for your learning, and realize that you will work harder, and have more expected of you than you likely have had to this point.
10. Be nice to the nurses, learn what you can from them. Most of them are very good at what they do. However, do NOT let them attempt to manipulate you as far as pt managment goes. There will be many times when they want to d/c the continuous monitor, or they want to avoid the c/s when it is clearly indicated. Make your decisions based on sound medicine, and then stick to them.
11. Most important...have a REASON for everything you do. And, the reason should never be "because that is what I was told to do". You may not always be right, but learn to think, not to follow algorithms.