I Want To Be a Gynecologist

[Gerrymandering]

What steps do i take towards this profession??? i really wanna do this...INCREDIBLE FIELD

Can men participate in this field?

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[masterMood]

i do too bro i do too...

 

[Gimlet]

Hahaha....after you guys do your first couple of pelvic exams on sick women I bet you'll be singing a different tune!

In all seriousness, OBGYN isn't a great field for men to be getting into. My parents have a close friend (who also delivered me 24 years ago) whose marriage almost ended because he was so depressed to see all of his female partners getting tons of new OB patients while he was getting NONE. He decided to drop OB from his practice and focus specifically on Gyn, but I would think that Gyn will be swinging completely toward the female direction in the future as well.

 

[masterMood]

as long as you put your mind and hands to it, you can do anything.

 

[ShyRem]

Don't let that sway you. I have had better experiences with male ob-gyns than female. For some reason, female ob-gyns poo-poo'd my issues (I have some past surgeries/problems dating from when I was a very small child), while male ob-gyns seemed more personable, more open to discussion, more "believing" of problems springing from my medical/surgical past. I was actually told by one female ob-gyn that I wasn't in pain and I was "making it up" when I had adhesions and fluid built up in a scar pocket (and lemme tell you it hurt like h*ll). I run away from female ob-gyns.

 

[MediMama23]

Don't let that sway you. I have had better experiences with male ob-gyns than female. For some reason, female ob-gyns poo-poo'd my issues (I have some past surgeries/problems dating from when I was a very small child), while male ob-gyns seemed more personable, more open to discussion, more "believing" of problems springing from my medical/surgical past. I was actually told by one female ob-gyn that I wasn't in pain and I was "making it up" when I had adhesions and fluid built up in a scar pocket (and lemme tell you it hurt like h*ll). I run away from female ob-gyns.

That totally sucks. I hope I never run across that type in the future. WTF?!?!

 

[Gerrymandering]

i do too bro i do too...

LOLOLOL it's great that someone else has something in common

 

[Zoom-Zoom]

Don't let that sway you. I have had better experiences with male ob-gyns than female. For some reason, female ob-gyns poo-poo'd my issues (I have some past surgeries/problems dating from when I was a very small child), while male ob-gyns seemed more personable, more open to discussion, more "believing" of problems springing from my medical/surgical past. I was actually told by one female ob-gyn that I wasn't in pain and I was "making it up" when I had adhesions and fluid built up in a scar pocket (and lemme tell you it hurt like h*ll). I run away from female ob-gyns.

I've heard that before too. Unfortunately male OB/GYN's are at very high liability risk these days...something else to consider.

 

[fab4fan]

I had a similar experience. I'd been going to the same GYN for 10y, and I really liked him. But a female OBG moved into the area and everyone was raving about how fantastic she was. Since she was closer to my home and worked at the same hospital where I worked, I thought I'd give her a try.

What a terrible idea. It was the most painful pelvic I'd ever had. Her interpersonal skills left a lot to be desired. The following year I went back to my former doc and have been with him since.

Right now I am going through a very difficult spell, and he has been very attentive, kind, and none of this BS about "making it all up/it's all in your head." Called me first thing this am to talk about how I was feelig.

So, all total, with the exception of the one year when I went to another doc, I've been going to the same doc for 24 years.

I don't know about other patients, but bedside manner is a huge deal.

My only major disappointment is that I may need surgery and he doesn't have privileges where I work. Plus, if I have sx. at my hospital, I would want to be able to dictate who would be i the OR (anesthesia, which nurses, techs, etc.)

 

[masterMood]

do gynecologists do sex changes, i'm just curious, that's why they call me whiskers, because i'm curious like a cat.

 

[pattayapus]

do gynecologists do sex changes, i'm just curious, that's why they call me whiskers, because i'm curious like a cat.

haha, i have no idea, but i would think a surgeon would do it. maybe some surgeons specialize in sex change operations. but since gynecologists do get some training in surgery, they're probably qualified to do it, too.

i've only seen a gynecologist once, and it was hilarious. she kept trying to get me to get a pap smear and i kept insisting i didn't need one, cuz i'm still a wimpy little virgin. and no matter what she wouldn't believe me. she kept saying "come on, you can tell me...come on, i won't tell your mom, etc.". it was kind of annoying. she ended up sending me off with birth-control pills, which i dumped...

 

[jebus]

do gynecologists do sex changes, i'm just curious, that's why they call me whiskers, because i'm curious like a cat.

You got me curious (not for myself - I'm all man. No, really, I am. Oh, f*ck you.) so here's what I found:
this guy was a general surgeon but that was back in the olden days.
this guy's a plastic surgeon., a bit different than Dr. Rey, no?
UMich has plastic surgeons, urologists, and OB/GYNs.
Who knew this stuff is so imprecise. It seems like anyone within a few specialties can do it. So... between boob jobs and botox treatments, you'll be able to change a dude to a chick, mastermood.

 

[Zoom-Zoom]

You got me curious (not for myself - I'm all man. No, really, I am. Oh, f*ck you.) so here's what I found:
this guy was a general surgeon but that was back in the olden days.
this guy's a plastic surgeon., a bit different than Dr. Rey, no?
UMich has plastic surgeons, urologists, and OB/GYNs.
Who knew this stuff is so imprecise. It seems like anyone within a few specialties can do it. So... between boob jobs and botox treatments, you'll be able to change a dude to a chick, mastermood.

I had never though tof this before, but it's kind of an interesting question. Looks like that Dr. Biber was one of the "pioneers" back in the 60's when it was uber-controvesial. Thus he was "qualified" because he was one of the only people with the guts to do it. I think nowdays it would be pretty rare for a general surgeon to do this, as it is usually a combination of specialists, involving some sort of urology, ob and plastics. It looks like most hospitals doing these procedures have some sort of specialized department with participating surgeons like at UMich...which makes sense b/c these things also require a battery of psych evaluations, etc. There's actually a tech guy at my job who recently had a sex change...now a woman, the weirdest thing is that it wasn't all that weird **shrugs**

 

[Law2Doc]

do gynecologists do sex changes, i'm just curious, that's why they call me whiskers, because i'm curious like a cat.

No, that's usually in the area of plastic surgery -- or at least the guy on Dr. 90210 (Dr. Alter -- www.altermd.com) who does them is a "genitourinary reconstructive surgeon".

For those guys who want to go into gyn, just bear in mind that you will be largely dealing with the elderly, the obese and the diseased the vast majority of the time -- not what you might be picturing . But if that doesn't dissuade you, I say go for it.

 

[mustangsally65]

Men can make wonderful, compassionate GYNs. If you really like the field and want to do it, then go for it. I don't care what the gender of my doctor is as long as he or she is competent and compassionate.

I once went to an older gynecologist who had posters on his ceiling. One was of a chimpanzee showing its teeth and the caption said "Grin and bear it." This was right over the exam table and you had no choice but to stare up at it as you lie there on your back. I never went back to see this guy.

As long as you don't do things like that, you'll probably be fine.

 

[gujuDoc]

Hahaha....after you guys do your first couple of pelvic exams on sick women I bet you'll be singing a different tune!

In all seriousness, OBGYN isn't a great field for men to be getting into. My parents have a close friend (who also delivered me 24 years ago) whose marriage almost ended because he was so depressed to see all of his female partners getting tons of new OB patients while he was getting NONE. He decided to drop OB from his practice and focus specifically on Gyn, but I would think that Gyn will be swinging completely toward the female direction in the future as well.

That depends. The guy I shadowed is one of the best in the region and the Department chair at our University's medical school. He was a Psychiatrist first and then chose to go into OB/GYN and specializes with infertility cases or people who need invitro or artificial insemination for some reason or another. Things of that nature. He still does a lot of deliveries too.

 

[ShyRem]

As to the infertility thing - having gone through infertility treatments twice to get my two lovely children, I can tell you that women look at you with derision and disdain if you need help getting pregnant. For some reason, every female I saw during the process (whether ob/gyn, nurse, resident, student, or other) made me feel "less of a woman" for needing fertility help (not just because they were female - the comments, the looks, the tone of voice were not kind). The men, OTOH, were more sympathetic, upbeat, supportive, and informative. And don't even get me started on the lack of sympathy from the female side for the side effects of the fertility drugs.

I'm sure there are wonderful female ob/gyns out there - I just haven't met any.

 

[QuantumMechanic]

Hahaha....after you guys do your first couple of pelvic exams on sick women I bet you'll be singing a different tune!

In all seriousness, OBGYN isn't a great field for men to be getting into. My parents have a close friend (who also delivered me 24 years ago) whose marriage almost ended because he was so depressed to see all of his female partners getting tons of new OB patients while he was getting NONE. He decided to drop OB from his practice and focus specifically on Gyn, but I would think that Gyn will be swinging completely toward the female direction in the future as well.

I shadowed a male obgyn and talked with him about this, and he showed me a study where women were asked who they'd rather see for normal appointments, a male or female obgyn: it said that surprisingly, the male obgyn was only slightly less preferred than the female obgyn. Furthermore they asked if they would prefer to have a surgery performed by a male or female obgyn. Answer: the male was overwhelmingly preferred for gynecological procedures!

Its really a crock of **** that males won't make money as an obgyn. Granted I would never consider the field, and it is a high liability specialty, but a male med student shouldn't let perceived discrimination sway his specialty choice.

 

[45408]

For those guys who want to go into gyn, just bear in mind that you will be largely dealing with the elderly, the obese and the diseased the vast majority of the time -- not what you might be picturing . But if that doesn't dissuade you, I say go for it.

Of course, my school's free clinic has two OB/GYNs that see the college population.....

 

[jebus]

Of course, my school's free clinic has two OB/GYNs that see the college population.....

Oh god, that's horrible! what could be worse than seeing some ridonkulously attractive, fit, nubile, seductive, alluring, ok I'll stop, woman with herpes and genital warts? Sigh...

 

[gujuDoc]

As to the infertility thing - having gone through infertility treatments twice to get my two lovely children, I can tell you that women look at you with derision and disdain if you need help getting pregnant. For some reason, every female I saw during the process (whether ob/gyn, nurse, resident, student, or other) made me feel "less of a woman" for needing fertility help (not just because they were female - the comments, the looks, the tone of voice were not kind). The men, OTOH, were more sympathetic, upbeat, supportive, and informative. And don't even get me started on the lack of sympathy from the female side for the side effects of the fertility drugs.

I'm sure there are wonderful female ob/gyns out there - I just haven't met any.

Good post. The only OB/GYN I ever went to was a male doctor and he was pretty good. Oddly enough, I am one of those females who have always had men doctor so feel more comfortable around them. Most of the docs I've shadowed are men too, with the exception of a few residents, so I'm used to that more and don't understand those girls who feel uncomfortable about guy doctors.

 

[gujuDoc]

Don't let that sway you. I have had better experiences with male ob-gyns than female. For some reason, female ob-gyns poo-poo'd my issues (I have some past surgeries/problems dating from when I was a very small child), while male ob-gyns seemed more personable, more open to discussion, more "believing" of problems springing from my medical/surgical past. I was actually told by one female ob-gyn that I wasn't in pain and I was "making it up" when I had adhesions and fluid built up in a scar pocket (and lemme tell you it hurt like h*ll). I run away from female ob-gyns.

BTW, I have to say the way you described the male doctors you went to, that's how caring I'd describe the infertility specialist at USF's med school. He's the head of the whole department and when he was in there with the patients he was soooooooooo nice and caring and truly sympathetic. He was a psychiatrist first, so maybe that's why he's more in tune with the emotional aspects. Plus he's got 7 kids, so he learned a lot from his and his wife's experiences too.

 

[CTSballer11]

No, that's usually in the area of plastic surgery -- or at least the guy on Dr. 90210 (Dr. Alter -- www.altermd.com) who does them is a "genitourinary reconstructive surgeon".

For those guys who want to go into gyn, just bear in mind that you will be largely dealing with the elderly, the obese and the diseased the vast majority of the time -- not what you might be picturing . But if that doesn't dissuade you, I say go for it.

You will not be seeing to many Jessica Alba's.

 

[cfdavid]

As to the infertility thing - having gone through infertility treatments twice to get my two lovely children, I can tell you that women look at you with derision and disdain if you need help getting pregnant. For some reason, every female I saw during the process (whether ob/gyn, nurse, resident, student, or other) made me feel "less of a woman" for needing fertility help (not just because they were female - the comments, the looks, the tone of voice were not kind). The men, OTOH, were more sympathetic, upbeat, supportive, and informative. And don't even get me started on the lack of sympathy from the female side for the side effects of the fertility drugs.

I'm sure there are wonderful female ob/gyns out there - I just haven't met any.

Women can be so cruel to one another. It's partly instinctual, I think.

 

[Hurricane95]

There's one thing I don't understand, and I've heard it mentioned already several times - the concept of male med students being dissuaded or even scoffed at for considering going into OB/GYN. Almost as if it's embarassing to do so, that this is a woman's specialy? That to me is very odd, especially considering the fact that 20 years ago practically ALL gynos were men....the concept of a lot of women entering the field is relatively new in the grand scheme of things. Now it's almost the other way around. I personally don't care to enter the field because of the horrible lifestyle involved (in other words I want some free time to enjoy my life outside of work) but I wouldn't think any less of my classmates who choose this field over, say, neurology or something.

 

[Hurricane95]

and to the OP - you are expected to treat all patients equally, not just the swimsuit models (which you probably won't treat too often)

 

[Gerrymandering]

and to the OP - you are expected to treat all patients equally, not just the swimsuit models (which you probably won't treat too often)

lol i wasn't being serious on this thread, but yeah i understand that each patient must be treated equally FROM EXPERIENCE!!! the purpose of this thread was to see if male OB/GYN's is looked down upon or something...

seriously, thanks to everyone that posted!!!

 

[masterMood]

and to the OP - you are expected to treat all patients equally, not just the swimsuit models (which you probably won't treat too often)

he'll treat the retired swimsuit models

ewwww

 

[swimncsc]

she kept trying to get me to get a pap smear and i kept insisting i didn't need one, cuz i'm still a wimpy little virgin. and no matter what she wouldn't believe me.


you DO know that you are supposed to get pap smears yearly, once you turn 18, regardless of your virginity or lack thereof right?

put that one up there in the note to self category, okay?

 

[swimncsc]

"she kept trying to get me to get a pap smear and i kept insisting i didn't need one, cuz i'm still a wimpy little virgin. and no matter what she wouldn't believe me. "


you DO know that you are supposed to get pap smears yearly, once you turn 18, regardless of your virginity or lack thereof right?

put that one up there in the note to self category, okay?

 

[butmylipshurtrealbad]

Just cause some people put gyno-stories on here, I thought I'd share my experience with a female one-- I don't have a regular gyno, so the last time I went they gave a new woman, who asked me if it was okay if a nurse could watch because she was being observed. I said sure, and they left, I got ready, and then when they came back, the gyno was getting out her equipment and suddenly completely wiped out! Seriously, she just randomly lost her balance and fell flat on her *ss! The nurse tried to look concerned instead of amused, and I really didn't know what to do. I was a little concerned about her handling her tools after that

 

[oxeye]

I don't think gender matter all the much in OB/GYN. I think my female OB/GYN is great but have heard horror stories from friends about other female OB/GYN. And I know people who love their male OB/GYN and others who have seen men and thought they were horrible.

It's probably more of a personality thing than a gender thing. I'm shadowing a male OB/GYN right now and I haven't seen a patient of his who doesn't seem to like him. He does seem a bit bitter about the fact that it is harder for him to get clients than for his female partners.

I don't know if this is true, but the statistic he's told me is that 50% of the female population will only see a female OB/GYN, 45% don't care, and 5% will only see a male OB/GYN.

 

[trustwomen]

I once went to an older gynecologist who had posters on his ceiling. One was of a chimpanzee showing its teeth and the caption said "Grin and bear it." This was right over the exam table and you had no choice but to stare up at it as you lie there on your back. I never went back to see this guy.

As long as you don't do things like that, you'll probably be fine.

And don't say "just relax, baby" during a pelvic when you are alone in the room with the patient. I never went back to THAT guy.

 

[Gavanshir]

My uncle did Catherine Zeta's exam when she was pregnant, NO JOKE!

 

[skomes]

I was thinking about obstetrics. Birth seems very rewarding, what kind of sub specialties are there? Like high risk pregnancies or something?

 

[nibrocli]

you DO know that you are supposed to get pap smears yearly, once you turn 18, regardless of your virginity or lack thereof right?

put that one up there in the note to self category, okay?

umm, actually current acog recommendation is 3 years after first intercourse or age 21, whichever comes first.

 

[francisdoss]

"..too many doctors are running out from business and they make it hard to too many OB/GYN to practice their love to the women all accross the country" so,think twice

 

[happydays]

I think it's cool to get a male OB/GYN. I'll have more time with you, since you'll have fewer patients. We may even be able to have a real conversation; you'll be like the brother I never had.

 

[Gavanshir]

Are there any stats on the male/female ratios? I always thoughts ob/gyns were mostly male.

 

[cobalt7]

There is only one good reason, as far as I can tell, for a guy to do OB-Gyn.

So when he comes home after a hard day at the clinic and his wife asks him, "How was your day?" he can reply, "I'm bushed."

 

[Law2Doc]

I think it's cool to get a male OB/GYN. I'll have more time with you, since you'll have fewer patients. We may even be able to have a real conversation; you'll be like the brother I never had.

If a gyn exam is the kind of stuff you would want to do with your brother, it's probably better that you never had one.

 

[happydays]

If a gyn exam is the kind of stuff you would want to do with your brother, it's probably better that you never had one.

I meant the talking part. Then again...(must get bad thoughts out of head). Nooo....

If I had a brother, he'd be so corrupt from my influence. Mwahahaha!

 

[MNsocsci]

I got kind of irritated with the "male gynos = good, female gynos = bad" posts. Maybe that's been your personal experience, but I see that personal experience as being the result of two possibilities:

1. Your perceptions of the docs are accurate, but you haven't seen very many gynos and so can't make the kind of generalizations you're trying to make about the larger population of gynos.
2. Your perceptions are innacurate: you are projecting your own feelings on the docs. Maybe you have some personal insecurity that comes out more with one gender.

I mean, come on people! Everyone knows that there are good gynos and bad gynos of both genders and none of us has seen enough to make an informed judgment. Just to balance out the stories, I personally have had better experiences with female gynos. They have been gentler in their use of the speculum and seemed to empathize more. However, I don't really have a preference of male or female because I know that gender does not determine how good a doctor is.

Sorry for the rant. It just irks me because I hope to be an ob/gyn someday.

 

[ShyRem]

mn, perhaps some of us just had bad luck with female ob/gyn docs. I did say perhaps I just hadn't found a good one yet. I'm certainly not averse to one - just haven't found one that works well for me yet.

Now on the other hand, my preferred surgeon (from 20 years of experiences with various surgeries and 8 different surgeons) is at this point a female. Weird, huh?

 

[sakura181]

I was thinking about obstetrics. Birth seems very rewarding, what kind of sub specialties are there? Like high risk pregnancies or something?

Maternal Fetal Medicine (MFM) is a fellowship (an extra 2-3 years of training after the 4-year OBGYN residency) that specializes in high risk pregnancies. They're the ones who do amniocentesis, CVS, and manage pregnancies that require extra attention, like multiple births, Down's syndrome & other congenital disorders, moms with high blood pressure or at risk for preterm labor, etc. For more info, here's a good website: http://www.smfm.org/

 

[Wahoos]

I was just in the ED 2 nights ago during my Emergency medicine month when I had this 21 yr old F with abd pain. So I went in, asked a few questions and did my H&P, got some labs, and then just when I was about to walk out of the room..... She told me " uhh, I forgot to tell you one thing, just recently, every time I have sex, there is this disgusting odor down there and this creamy whitish discharge...... Just when I thought I didn't have to do a pelvic exam on her. So I presented the case to the attending and she said "Go do the pelvic/bi-manual and rectal on her"...then my attending was gone to see another patient. I was going to tell my attending that it has been 2 years since I have done a pelvic exam... professionally , and I pretty much forgot how to do those things and how to use those speculums that look like duck bills, and doing a pelvic exam has no learning value for me as a Orthopedic surgery resident, etc, etc. Anyways, I just went in the room and....... . It is just not fun to have your face 12 inches away from something that smells like the fish market (more like fish that have been in the hot sun for a few days) and ozzzing out things ..... ok, I will stop. But seriously, I do not know why guys would want to be a gyne doc.... it just kills the sex drive. Anyways, sorry about grossing people out, but she did end up having bacterial vaginosis, which there is a test call the "Whiff Test". You put the vaginal discharges on a slide and put some KOH and vola, dead fish smell. But alot of times, you really don't even need the test, when you walk into the room, you can appreciate it very well. Just like Melana... if you ever smell that, you will remember it for the rest of your life. Ever since I have done my Ob/Gyn rotation, I have had post traumatic distress syndrome every time I see cottage cheese.
And I had to do a pelvic on a patient that was > 300lbs as a med student, and my fingers was not even long enough to get by the labia majora... it was like 6 inches long.

 

[superchris147]

I thought i'd give my two cents on this: my father is a maternal fetal medicine guy (specializing in high risk pregnencies) and he gets a lot of satisfaction from delivering babies so that is one reason he wanted to do it.

He has talked about female ob/gyn's and he mentions that a lot of patients will go to a female specifically because they think that a female will be more sympathetic. But the female doctors don't really want to talk about feelings with the patients because it doesn't pay the bills. So the patients end up back at their male ob/gyn. I'm not saying that happens to everyone but my dad has noticed that a lot.

Here are some reasons why you shouldn't do ob/gyn:
1. Horrible hours
2. On-call constantly
3. Horrible reimbursement
4. Horrible malpractice insurance
5. (This one more applies to MFM) You have to give a lot of bad news

 

[MrBurns10]

Don't your on-call hours mostly depend on what your practice is like? I would imagine that the more partners you have, the less you'd have to be on-call. I heard of one practice with 5 women...each took one night of call during the week, had one day off during the week, and had one weekend on-call every 5 weeks. That doesn't sound that bad. So can't you more or less arrange your schedule, or am I just dreaming?

 

[superchris147]

Don't your on-call hours mostly depend on what your practice is like? I would imagine that the more partners you have, the less you'd have to be on-call. I heard of one practice with 5 women...each took one night of call during the week, had one day off during the week, and had one weekend on-call every 5 weeks. That doesn't sound that bad. So can't you more or less arrange your schedule, or am I just dreaming?

Well it depends on the type of practice that you have. If you have a large group practice then yes you could do that. However, depending on what is going on with your patients, one might not be able to handle the call of 5 doctors. Also, if you join a large group practice you might be an associate and not a partner, therefore, the partners could be making money off of you, etc etc

 

[Gerrymandering]

I was just in the ED 2 nights ago during my Emergency medicine month when I had this 21 yr old F with abd pain. So I went in, asked a few questions and did my H&P, got some labs, and then just when I was about to walk out of the room..... She told me " uhh, I forgot to tell you one thing, just recently, every time I have sex, there is this disgusting odor down there and this creamy whitish discharge...... Just when I thought I didn't have to do a pelvic exam on her. So I presented the case to the attending and she said "Go do the pelvic/bi-manual and rectal on her"...then my attending was gone to see another patient. I was going to tell my attending that it has been 2 years since I have done a pelvic exam... professionally , and I pretty much forgot how to do those things and how to use those speculums that look like duck bills, and doing a pelvic exam has no learning value for me as a Orthopedic surgery resident, etc, etc. Anyways, I just went in the room and....... . It is just not fun to have your face 12 inches away from something that smells like the fish market (more like fish that have been in the hot sun for a few days) and ozzzing out things ..... ok, I will stop. But seriously, I do not know why guys would want to be a gyne doc.... it just kills the sex drive. Anyways, sorry about grossing people out, but she did end up having bacterial vaginosis, which there is a test call the "Whiff Test". You put the vaginal discharges on a slide and put some KOH and vola, dead fish smell. But alot of times, you really don't even need the test, when you walk into the room, you can appreciate it very well. Just like Melana... if you ever smell that, you will remember it for the rest of your life. Ever since I have done my Ob/Gyn rotation, I have had post traumatic distress syndrome every time I see cottage cheese.
And I had to do a pelvic on a patient that was > 300lbs as a med student, and my fingers was not even long enough to get by the labia majora... it was like 6 inches long.

LOLOLOLOL sounds like fun!!! good luck in residencies...