Can a man be an OB/GYN? Should he?

[HughMyron]

I know this is a female-dominated field, but at my last interview I had, my tour guide was a male MS4 who had matched into OB/GYN. Privately, I wondered why.

I've heard that male OB/GYNs face strong employment discrimination, and receive substantially lower salaries than their female counterparts. Not to mention the hordes of patients who will outright refuse to see you.

I really don't know why a man would subject himself to this. Did my tour guide get bad grades on his other rotations or something?

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[aspiring20]

I know this is a female-dominated field, but at my last interview I had, my tour guide was a male MS4 who had matched into OB/GYN. Privately, I wondered why.

I've heard that male OB/GYNs face strong employment discrimination, and receive substantially lower salaries than their female counterparts. Not to mention the hordes of patients who will outright refuse to see you.

I really don't know why a man would subject himself to this. Did my tour guide get bad grades on his other rotations or something?

Ron Paul.

 

[HughMyron]

Ron Paul.

That was back in the good/bad old days when only men were doctors. Things have changed.

 

[Doctor Strange]

I mean, if you're hot, I doubt some women would care.

 

[Law2Doc]

I know this is a female-dominated field, but at my last interview I had a male tour guide MS4 who had matched into OB/GYN. Privately, I wondered why.

I've heard that male OB/GYNs face strong employment discrimination, and receive substantially lower salaries than their female counterparts. Not to mention the hordes of patients who will outright refuse to see you.

I really don't know why a man would subject himself to this. Did my tour guide get bad grades on his other rotations or something?

Some women (particularly older)prefer male doctors, and since so few men go into this field, they sometimes get recruited by better programs, and have few issues finding jobs. Most people choose their specialties because they enjoy their third year rotations, and find good role models in the field. Obgyn has a good mix of surgery and clinical work and several fellowship paths, so I doubt your tour guide fell into it by default, rather than choice. The handful of males I've met in the field were very successful. But yeah you are going to be on the outside of the girls club throughout training, and many will wonder why a guy chooses to focus on women's health, so you have to be pretty comfortable in your own skin regarding these aspects.

 

[SpacemanSpifff]

I'm not sure how it is in other areas, but in the hospital where I did most of my shadowing the vast majority of the OB/GYNs were male (6/7). I often wondered how that worked out.

As for why a man would want to deal with strictly female issues, the OB/GYN I shadowed said he liked the mix of surgical procedures and clinical interactions. Plus, helping women through their pregnancies allowed him to develop some really special relationships with his patients. That said, I'm not sure it would be my first choice of specialty.

 

[La Presse]

Should a female be a urologist?


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[HughMyron]

Should a female be a urologist?


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Yes. Why not??

 

[Goobs]

Should a female be a urologist?


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Pretty sure females go to a urologist too...

 

[Law2Doc]

Yes. Why not??

I think the prior posters point is that the vast majority of urology patients are male, so you'd be dealing with male urinary, erectile and prostate problems to about the same extent a GYN deals with vaginal and cervical issues.

Once you are actually a physician these problems become less male/female, and more about disease, reproduction and plumbing, so this whole line of discussion becomes pretty juvenile. But I'd argue that it's easier for a woman to crack the boys club of urology than a guy being accepted into the girls club of OBGYN.

 

[gravitywave]

Some women (particularly older)prefer male doctors, and since so few men go into this field, they sometimes get recruited by better programs, and have few issues finding jobs. Most people choose their specialties because they enjoy their third year rotations, and find good role models in the field. Obgyn has a good mix of surgery and clinical work and several fellowship paths, so I doubt your tour guide fell into it by default, rather than choice. The handful of males I've met in the field were very successful. But yeah you are going to be on the outside of the girls club throughout training, and many will wonder why a guy chooses to focus on women's health, so you have to be pretty comfortable in your own skin regarding these aspects.

i think this is more or less true. OB/Gyn is actually a really awesome specialty, with a great mix of surgery and medicine, procedures and clinic. MFM is some of the coolest, most cutting edge medicine there is. On the academic side, men are at something of an advantage in terms of matching, because ~80% of the residents at this point are female. I've also heard it said that while patients do prefer a lady doc for their health maintenance appointments and for many Gyn issues, the results are more mixed when it comes to obstetrics, and that men are actually preferred by patients in fields like Gyn Onc.

So far as private practice is concerned, your job prospects are dependent on where you want to practice and what your skills/experience/niche abilities/interests are - not unlike any other field of medicine. Men can absolutely be very successful. And any guy who chooses to enter this specialty is most certainly making a choice to do so, not least because he's heard all the things that have been said in this thread. It's not like anyone who's competitive for Ob/Gyn wouldn't be competitive for a number of other things.

Unfortunately, what really turned me against considering the field as a career was the near-universally awful feedback I got from the people working in it i.e. "don't become an Ob/Gyn." The lifestyle is not for everyone, there is a lot of stress, and the legal environment is more hostile than for most.

 

[angemon89]

This is a bummer because OBb/Gyn is something that I've been considering. I shall see when the time comes though...

 

[KnuxNole]

There are males who go into OB/GYN and are very happy. All the male residents on my rotation were really awesome(and not catty or moody ) and seemed like they chose that field due to interest.

 

[pre med 2014]

Bill Cosby was an OB/GYN. So was Ron Paul, there are plenty of male OB/GYNs

 

[airplanes]

This is a bummer because OBb/Gyn is something that I've been considering. I shall see when the time comes though...

Why is it a bummer if most everyone is telling you its very possible and even an advantage. Don't cherry pick the posts.

 

[wholeheartedly]

I actually read somewhere that sometimes male obgyns are at an advantage because the women run clinics can be hard for patients to get into and have long waits for appointments, and so the male docs wind up being more accessible and desirable for patients who are comfortable with them.

 

[silverhorse84]

While we are in the minority there are some of us that prefer a male OBGYNs. The men I worked with on my OBGYN rotation were all very happy and got along fine with their female colleagues. I did my rotation at a place where there weren't OBGYN residents - don't know what it's like during residency.

 

[touchpause13]

Nothing wrong with male OB/GYNs.
I am not personally able to see one, but for those women who can there is nothing wrong with having more people in that field who are bright and interested in women's healthcare.

 

[circulus vitios]

Was his name Hugh Evanlift, DO?

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Bill Cosby was an OB/GYN. So was Ron Paul, there are plenty of male OB/GYNs

Bill Cosby has a doctorate in Education.

 

[touchpause13]

Bill Cosby has a doctorate in Education.

👍

 

[Bacchus]

Bill Cosby has a doctorate in Education.

Not on his show... 😉

 

[Josh7]

My friends dad is an OBGYN and he delivered me. I don't really see the prob

 

[kgpremed11]

Nothing wrong with male OB/GYNs.
I am not personally able to see one, but for those women who can there is nothing wrong with having more people in that field who are bright and interested in women's healthcare.

Why not? You mentioned you were a feminst before probably think all men are out to hurt you, when in reality they could care less.

 

[theWhat]

Why not? You mentioned you were a feminst before probably think all men are out to hurt you, when in reality they could care less.

Is this your attitude toward feminists? Thumbdown.

 

[armybound]

Very cool field, but I also had big concerns about finding patients willing to see me.

You may be very marketable to a practice if you are willing to do a lot of surgeries and less clinic.

 

[Narmerguy]

Why not? You mentioned you were a feminst before probably think all men are out to hurt you, when in reality they could care less.

Doesn't feel comfortable with a man up in her business? It's not that hard to understand, even if you don't have the same reservations. I often think of my mother or my girlfriend when trying to frame these things. If one of them didn't feel comfortable with a male examining them, I'd 100% understand and would expect the doctors to understand as well. As it turns out, my mother has a male gynecologist and seems to be very happy with him

 

[Doctor246853]

Dr. David Owens, best OBGYN at Parkland Hospital. After watching the surgeries he's done (removed 50lb tumor for girl), I would go into it....

 

[SpecterGT260]

Doesn't feel comfortable with a man up in her business? It's not that hard to understand, even if you don't have the same reservations. I often think of my mother or my girlfriend when trying to frame these things. If one of them didn't feel comfortable with a male examining them, I'd 100% understand and would expect the doctors to understand as well. As it turns out, my mother has a male gynecologist and seems to be very happy with him

"I am not able" isn't the same as "I don't prefer".

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[CarlATHF]

receive substantially lower salaries than their female counterparts.

Tell that to the director of MFM at UF who banks $450K per year like a boss

 

[KnuxNole]

That's one thing I never understood. It's not like the guy is gonna do anything sexual in a professional setting. One of the attendings I worked with said that patients like to see her because she can relate to the woman's body and the magical changes it endures much more than any man. So maybe that's why...😕

 

[SpecterGT260]

That's one thing I never understood. It's not like the guy is gonna do anything sexual in a professional setting. One of the attendings I worked with said that patients like to see her because she can relate to the woman's body and the magical changes it endures much more than any man. So maybe that's why...😕

Magical is a euphemism for gross

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[Wilf]

Is this your attitude toward feminists? Thumbdown.

I think that's many people's attitude toward feminism. It's a tough philosophy to square with reality and common sense.

 

[Narmerguy]

"I am not able" isn't the same as "I don't prefer".

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I guess so but how could someone not physically be able? 😕

I think that's many people's attitude toward feminism. It's a tough philosophy to square with reality and common sense.

Feminism means different things to different people. I consider myself a feminist, but all I mean by that is I think women should be treated equally as men where possible.

 

[Wilf]

Feminism means different things to different people. I consider myself a feminist, but all I mean by that is I think women should be treated equally as men where possible.

By that definition, even I am feminist. Most people would not consider me feminist though!

 

[911 Turbo]

OB is beta





Urology is alpha





Wait wut

 

[Josh7]

By that definition, even I am feminist. Most people would not consider me feminist though!

That's probably because the view of feminists, in general, has been warped over the last few years. Nowadays when the word feminist is brought up it's often associated with the super radical feminists who go around shouting their views all the time and getting up in arms about things that most people wouldn't consider sexist.

At my university there is a group of people who will sell chocolate body parts 🙂naughty🙂 during the winter and yell loudly at everyone passing them in the quad trying to sell them this chocolate... It just makes feminists look bad in my opinion

 

[lobo.solo]

That's probably because the view of feminists, in general, has been warped over the last few years. Nowadays when the word feminist is brought up it's often associated with the super radical feminists who go around shouting their views all the time and getting up in arms about things that most people wouldn't consider sexist.

At my university there is a group of people who will sell chocolate body parts 🙂naughty🙂 during the winter and yell loudly at everyone passing them in the quad trying to sell them this chocolate... It just makes feminists look bad in my opinion

Agree, pop culture and mainstream media often denatures the original concepts of many political/philosophical ideologies.

OP, you don't understand it because you probably wouldn't do it. I don't see a problem with it.

 

[Narmerguy]

That's probably because the view of feminists, in general, has been warped over the last few years. Nowadays when the word feminist is brought up it's often associated with the super radical feminists who go around shouting their views all the time and getting up in arms about things that most people wouldn't consider sexist.

At my university there is a group of people who will sell chocolate body parts 🙂naughty🙂 during the winter and yell loudly at everyone passing them in the quad trying to sell them this chocolate... It just makes feminists look bad in my opinion

By that definition, even I am feminist. Most people would not consider me feminist though!

I would agree. There are some very vocal women out there who aren't simply advocating for equality but believe that men are the root of all problems, etc. That is not feminism, that is sexism. There's an undercurrent of people trying to take back "feminism" from these sort of radicals, and I think that's the message that people should be focused on. Feminism is the fight for equal rights for women and men (political, social, etc). There are plenty of people, men and women, who still believe that women are not (or should not be) equal to men.

Feminism is a collection of movements and ideologies aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights for women.[1][2] This includes seeking to establish equal opportunities for women in education and employment. A feminist is "an advocate or supporter of the rights and equality of women".[3]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feminism

 

[SpecterGT260]

I guess so but how could someone not physically be able? 😕

see, that I don't know. She may have just mispoken. The only thing I can think of is legal issus, but..... even then I can't come up with a scenario that would make it a "cant" situation.

 

[Sink You Fool]

I'll throw my two cents into the ring. I think that it gets lost that a lot of basic gynecological care that women receive is from a family practice physician anyway. I know that's where I've gotten birth control, pelvic exams, etc. As far as obstetrics goes, some women might feel more comfortable with a woman because they think a woman "understands" the process better. But I have never been pregnant, and seeing a few of my friends go through the process, I have no better relation to all that business than a man would.

Also, equating all feminists with the radicals of the bunch is akin to equating all people who identify as anit-choice with the loonies who post on-line the addresses of doctors who perform abortions. I'm from a state with one clinic that has to fly a doctor in every two weeks because of death threats, but I certainly don't think everyone I meet who is anti-choice is a nutjob.

 

[SpecterGT260]

. But I have never been pregnant, and seeing a few of my friends go through the process, I have no better relation to all that business than a man would.
.

👍 I've said this before as well to some feminist oriented friends who tried to tell me that I have no idea about childbirth because I am male. Even if it may be in your future you don't know it till you do it 👍

Feminism (in the more extreme sense) is just a title however. Its just another iteration of someone projecting on another. No different than the MD vs DO threads only it is genders.

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[Sink You Fool]

see, that I don't know. She may have just mispoken. The only thing I can think of is legal issus, but..... even then I can't come up with a scenario that would make it a "cant" situation.

My guess would be HMO. No male OB/GYN in the network.

 

[SpecterGT260]

My guess would be HMO. No male OB/GYN in the network.

That is actually another valid guess. Didn't think about that one.

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[Law2Doc]

Bill Cosby was an OB/GYN...

I think you mean Heathcliff Huxtable.

 

[Sink You Fool]

“Too many OB/GYN’s aren’t able to practice their love with women all across the country.”
-George W. Bush

Pretty sure this quote sums it up.

 

[Winged Scapula]

A comment about men making less as an Ob-Gyn.

While that may be true (although illegal) in an employed position (ie, hospital employee, VA, HMO), in private practice your reimbursement is tied to the codes submitted. No insurer bases reimbursement on the gender of the provider.

Therefore, the only reason men would make less as an OB-Gyn would be if they saw fewer patients or had a low surgery: patient ratio, not because of gender.

 

[AestheticGod]

Do you even lift?

 

[touchpause13]

Doesn't feel comfortable with a man up in her business? It's not that hard to understand, even if you don't have the same reservations. I often think of my mother or my girlfriend when trying to frame these things. If one of them didn't feel comfortable with a male examining them, I'd 100% understand and would expect the doctors to understand as well. As it turns out, my mother has a male gynecologist and seems to be very happy with him

im a sexual assault survivor and suffer from horrible flashbacks.
ptsd is a bitch

 

[MedPR]

What about FMs who do pap smears? Females only right?

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