how bad is the lifestyle?

[Nosa]

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i am a 3rd year med student who is really considering OB/Gyn as a career. the only thing holding me back is that while i don't mind working hard, i don't want a horrible lifestyle with long, inconvenient hours. i want to have a family someday and don't want to always be caught in between my job and home responsibilities. i am just wondering if this would be possible with OB.... any thoughts?

 

[Kadyra]

I had early clinical exposure with an ob/gyn my second year. She was in a practice with 4 other ob/gyn's. They did one night a week on call and about one weekend a month on call. They tried to deliver their own babies all the time, but didn't feel 100% obligated when they weren't on call, so they could enjoy their private lives. While this may not be great for the patient who builds up a rapport with one doc and then all the sudden has her baby delivered by another, but it's one way the lifestyle is manageable. This doc has 2 kids and a husband. She works hard, but she balances it out. She says many practices are always looking for another partner to share the cost of overhead with and to share call with so everyone gets more time off. It all depends on how you practice, so I am told.

 

[tiredmom]

It really varies on your practice. I've worked with docs on one night a week and every 4th weekend for the entire weekend, and others that are in a group of 7... one night a week of call and every 7th weekend as primary call. It depends so much on the group structure, the location (can you live close and take call from home, or is it crazy traffic and if you are on, you are there?) I'm going into it with 2 kids already (and a husband thinking a 3rd should be here in the next couple of years).
Good luck.

 

[Diane L. Evans]

First do what you like. The lifestyle is dependant upon the group you join into. There is a growing trend toward laborist which cover practices (these doc's cover deliveries at night and admissions) and hence serve to normalize the lifestyle. A larger group= few calls less continuity.

 

[snowinter]

First do what you like. The lifestyle is dependant upon the group you join into. There is a growing trend toward laborist which cover practices (these doc's cover deliveries at night and admissions) and hence serve to normalize the lifestyle. A larger group= few calls less continuity.

Diane,

can you tell me more about this laborist trend? Would their sole job be to do night calls and admissions? that's interesting -- kind of like the hospitalist movement with internal medicine?

I think the newer physicians of our generation are much more interested in lifestyle these days-- which explains the rush toward lifestyle fields & the decline (in part) of obgyn and other considered non-lifestyle fields. but the mentality of those entering obgyn is similar to those scared away. bottom line: we all want a good lifestyle & so it will be interesting to see the innovations that our field creates to accomodate our desires.

i'm interested in hearing more about the laborist trend you mentioned.
thanks
snow