Army Ob/Gyn

[Neogenesis]

Hey folks, as I finish out my 3rd year of school, I am seriously considering training as an Ob/Gyn. I'm wondering if anyone can shed light on the practice of Ob as it relates to MilMed. Everything is fair game, but I'd particularly like to know about:
1)practice environment
2)deployments (what's your role - typical and atypical)
3)lifestyle (as compared to civilian counterparts)
4)any advice on which of the army programs (TAMC, BAMC, MAMC or WRAMC) is the one to train at.

Obviously, AD Army Ob's would be my ideal reference, but I do appreciate info from any source.

Thanks,
NEO

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[iatrosB]

Hey folks, as I finish out my 3rd year of school, I am seriously considering training as an Ob/Gyn. I'm wondering if anyone can shed light on the practice of Ob as it relates to MilMed. Everything is fair game, but I'd particularly like to know about:
1)practice environment
2)deployments (what's your role - typical and atypical)
3)lifestyle (as compared to civilian counterparts)
4)any advice on which of the army programs (TAMC, BAMC, MAMC or WRAMC) is the one to train at.

Obviously, AD Army Ob's would be my ideal reference, but I do appreciate info from any source.

Thanks,
NEO

I don't know for sure...but I'm pretty certain that OB/GYNs are often used as general surgeons.

 

[met19]

I don't know for sure...but I'm pretty certain that OB/GYNs are often used as general surgeons.

thats pretty scary as their procedures are very different. i would not want an ob taking out my appy or my gs doing somones c-section!

 

[edmadison]

thats pretty scary as their procedures are very different. i would not want an ob taking out my appy or my gs doing somones c-section!

True, but if you are bleeding out from the IED blast that occurred 20 minutes ago, who would you rather have operate on you? Me (the pediatrician) or the OB/GYN?

Ed

 

[met19]

True, but if you are bleeding out from the IED blast that occurred 20 minutes ago, who would you rather have operate on you? Me (the pediatrician) or the OB/GYN?

Ed

i'd rather have an EP (like me) at first and then a trauma surgeon!

 

[iatrosB]

True, but if you are bleeding out from the IED blast that occurred 20 minutes ago, who would you rather have operate on you? Me (the pediatrician) or the OB/GYN?

Ed

It's sad you have to chose.

 

[colbgw02]

I don't know for sure...but I'm pretty certain that OB/GYNs are often used as general surgeons.

They get deployed as "half" of a general surgeon - whatever the hell that means.

 

[jonb12997]

I was told by the OB's that I'm working with right now that they work sometimes will work as General Surg Assistants while downrange. They also have a colpo clinic in Baghdad.

 

[a1qwerty55]

They get deployed as "half" of a general surgeon - whatever the hell that means.

Actually I think it is a 25% FTE surgeon unless they are gyn onc trained, and then I think it is 50%. I'm not 100% sure of the percentages but the idea is that they have surgical skills which are relevant and useful in a CSH, but they are not General Surgeons and are not expected to function as trauma surgeons.

I wouldn't pass up their skills if I had a bleeder which needed to be tied off.

Hopefully an OB/Gyn will post their experiences so you can get a first hand perspective.

 

[met19]

Actually I think it is a 25% FTE surgeon unless they are gyn onc trained, and then I think it is 50%. I'm not 100% sure of the percentages but the idea is that they have surgical skills which are relevant and useful in a CSH, but they are not General Surgeons and are not expected to function as trauma surgeons.

I wouldn't pass up their skills if I had a bleeder which needed to be tied off.

Hopefully an OB/Gyn will post their experiences so you can get a first hand perspective.

fine tying off a bleeder...i still want my trauma surgeon and possibly an orthopod for my fracture!

 

[ieatpizza]

Actually I think it is a 25% FTE surgeon unless they are gyn onc trained, and then I think it is 50%. I'm not 100% sure of the percentages but the idea is that they have surgical skills which are relevant and useful in a CSH, but they are not General Surgeons and are not expected to function as trauma surgeons.

I wouldn't pass up their skills if I had a bleeder which needed to be tied off.

Hopefully an OB/Gyn will post their experiences so you can get a first hand perspective.

I know of one OB/Gyn with fellowship training in Urogynecology & Pelvic Reconstructive surgery who functioned as a gynecologist and an assistant trauma surgeon at a CSH. He wasn't expected to function as the trauma surgeon.

 

[Neogenesis]

thanks for the thoughts so far guys. any AD Ob's out there? Anyone have any thoughts on practice envrionment statestide? or training programs?

NEO

 

[elderjack21]

I am good friends with an active duty army OB/GYN who is also board certified as a reproductive endocrinologist.

He delivered both of our kids and I shadowed him several times.

Work environment stateside is fine. He deployed to Iraq for 6 months (which was a waste of his reproductive endocronology training), but he still looked at it as a great learning opportunity that gave him more perspective on his patients (or their spouses).

He did an army residency which he thought was excellent, delivers a ton of babies where he is stationed at now, and moonlights a couple days a month at a civilian hospital nearby.

That said, as soon as his long obligation is up, he will get out despite making LTC in about 10 years without having ever attended OBC or CCC.

It just doesn't make any financial sense to stay in, and it is always a battle for him against the hospital administrators to keep running his clinic which is underfunded, understaff, and unsupported. (which is funny, because he was assigned there to get the fertility clinic up and running, but they don't resource it).

I think he is overall proud of his service, glad he did, and got a lot of great opportunities out of it.