I'm a practicing Ob attending, interview residency candidates, and teach medical students. I also had 2 babies during my OB residency! I'm happy to answer any questions you might have about Med school, residency, family life. Comment here or PM me!
Ob/Gyn Hospitalist and Residency interviewer, had 2 babies in residency Ask Me Anything!
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When during your residency (what years) did you have your babies? How much maternity leave did you have?
Thanks so much, I'm a female med student interested in surgical specialties who is in a committed relationship and wondering when the best time to start a family would be so I really appreciate hearing from those who have done it successfully!
Thanks so much, I'm a female med student interested in surgical specialties who is in a committed relationship and wondering when the best time to start a family would be so I really appreciate hearing from those who have done it successfully!
Hi, I had my first in December of my 2nd year of residency, and my second two years later, in Dec of my 4th year! I got 6 weeks of maternity leave with each child, and because of this had to stay in residency for 1 extra month. I wouldnt have been eligible to sit for my written boards at the end of 4th year if i didnt make up those 4 weeks.
There's really no "best time", there are times that might be a little easier than residency, but i'd say when you feel ready to start a family just do it. Happy to talk more over PM. I wrote a blog post on this exact subject i'll send you!
There's really no "best time", there are times that might be a little easier than residency, but i'd say when you feel ready to start a family just do it. Happy to talk more over PM. I wrote a blog post on this exact subject i'll send you!
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Pardon my ignorance, but is an OB/GYN hospitalist the same as a laborist? Or do you see GYN patients on the floor too?
don't apologize, most people don't know what it is!
At my hospital we see both Ob (cover Labor and delivery) and Gyn patients/consults as well, all as supervision to the residents. But other programs use laborists just for labor and delivery and no Gyn responsibilities. Both are shift-work schedules, similar to an ER doctor.
Hope that helped a bit!
At my hospital we see both Ob (cover Labor and delivery) and Gyn patients/consults as well, all as supervision to the residents. But other programs use laborists just for labor and delivery and no Gyn responsibilities. Both are shift-work schedules, similar to an ER doctor.
Hope that helped a bit!
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What made you decide on OB? Are you happy with your lifestyle now and your work life balance?
I did a summer rotation in OB after my first year of Med School, and liked it. To be honest I hoped in my 3rd year I'd find a specialty I liked more, because I knew it's a tough lifestyle. I didnt find anything I liked better. I liked the combination of medicine and surgery. In the end I decided between OB and Urology. I preferred working with only women patients.
OB residency was TOUGH, especially having 2 babies during it! I decided I wanted a job that was shift work, so i could leave work at work, and not be on call besides during my scheduled shifts. This is a much more lifestyle friendly way to practice OB but its not for everyone. Luckily there are now many ways to practice. Hope that helped a bit!
OB residency was TOUGH, especially having 2 babies during it! I decided I wanted a job that was shift work, so i could leave work at work, and not be on call besides during my scheduled shifts. This is a much more lifestyle friendly way to practice OB but its not for everyone. Luckily there are now many ways to practice. Hope that helped a bit!
Did you have any trouble finding a job out of residency?
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Can you explain how your schedule works with your shifts? Is it similar to hospitalists, with 7 on/7 off? Currently I’m very interested in OB but am definitely conscious of lifestyle as well.
Also, thanks for sharing about how having your babies worked— I would likely be looking at having a baby in residency, so it’s always nice to hear from others who have done it
A
afib123
Not to hate on Ob , good field with smart people. But why are some people so hard to work with. I have heard from multiple people from multiple schools about this. Is it a coincidence or just a bad reputation
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What tips could you give to students (especially guys) on excelling in Ob/Gyn rotation during MS3? Some of the common advice like be early, attentive and excited probably apply but any specifics or examples would be appreciated.
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Not OP but my fiancé is doing OB and I’m on my OB rotation now. So may be able to provide just a tiny bit of help. One useful practical thing I found was learning what the process of normal labor and delivery is.
For example:
what do all those measurements they’re calling out during the pelvic exam mean? (“Cervix is Closed long and out of pelvis!”)
How should those measures be expected change over the course of labor? (“It’s been 4 hours and cervical dilation is still ____cm”)
What are some basic interventions they do when labor isn’t progressing as desired? (“Increase Pitocin to ____”)
When is a C section indicated?
What do all those words they use to describe a fetal heart tracing mean? (What “variability” is good? Is are the different kinds of “decellerations” and which are the bad ones?)
What the hell is a APGAR score and how is it calculated?
Also be sure to introduce yourself to the patient when appropriate, and ask if they’re ok with you being there. This will vary by institution but where I am the residents get mad when a student wanders 2 minutes before delivery and stands in the corner during one of the most important moment of the patients life
Now back to your regularly scheduled programming!
- Learn how to use a speculum without fumbling before you attempt your first pelvic exam, and when it comes time don't look over your shoulder and ask the resident if you're doing it right. Gotta be able to do it right on your own or the patient will rightfully feel very uncomfortable.
- Never do a pelvic exam without a chaperone, especially as a man and especially as a med student
- Be conscious of your facial expressions as lots of what happens in OB is what a lot of lay people consider "gross" (some of it is actually kinda gross)
- Don't ask too many questions or talk too much during a CS or delivery because the patient can hear you
- Know your sterile glove size and practice self-gowning and gloving as quickly as you can
- If you have time to put on a mask during a delivery, grab one with the eye shield
- b-HCG is always the first answer when they ask you how to work up abdominal pain in a woman <50
1. What should applicants be looking for at interviews/Sub-I that makes a good residency program?
2. What questions should students take into consideration when deciding on Ob/gyn as a specialty?
3. What issues to males in the field face? Do you foresee any changes for males in the field in the future?
2. What questions should students take into consideration when deciding on Ob/gyn as a specialty?
3. What issues to males in the field face? Do you foresee any changes for males in the field in the future?
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Thank you for doing this!
1. What factors led to you going into Ob/Gyn?
2. Are you still happy working in that field, given the intensity of the lifestyle?
3. What are you looking for in a residency applicant besides boards and class rank/clinical scores? (e.g., are aways necessary, is it okay not to have research that's explicitly in Ob/Gyn, etc.)
4. What kind of person do you think is best suited to purse an Ob/Gyn residency?
1. What factors led to you going into Ob/Gyn?
2. Are you still happy working in that field, given the intensity of the lifestyle?
3. What are you looking for in a residency applicant besides boards and class rank/clinical scores? (e.g., are aways necessary, is it okay not to have research that's explicitly in Ob/Gyn, etc.)
4. What kind of person do you think is best suited to purse an Ob/Gyn residency?
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Currently on a research year because of an unexpected baby. Have always planned on ob/gyn. Do you see your shift work becoming more common? SO is a cop, so shift work would be nice to raise a family. Also, did you have any part in picking residents? This year seems to be particularly brutal for ob/gyn.
1) How much of an issue is malpractice? if you work for a big hospital, are you more shielded?
2) Any negatives about the field you wish you had anticipated early on?
3) When you rank applicants do you take into account their hometown/region?
2) Any negatives about the field you wish you had anticipated early on?
3) When you rank applicants do you take into account their hometown/region?
Not at all, there are usually plenty of OB jobs. Hospitalist jobs are more limited but the hospital where i did my residency had a job opening
Hi, so I work 14 twelve hour shifts per month, this is a mix of weekday daytime shifts (7am-7pm), weekday night shifts (7pm-7am) and weekend shifts. We can group them together in 24 hour shifts if we want, or only work 12 hour shifts. So each week might be a bit different but the number of shifts per month is consistent. We find out our schedule a few months in advance and can request time off, get paid time off. Hope that helps! Very different than working in private practice
Can you explain how your schedule works with your shifts? Is it similar to hospitalists, with 7 on/7 off? Currently I’m very interested in OB but am definitely conscious of lifestyle as well.
Also, thanks for sharing about how having your babies worked— I would likely be looking at having a baby in residency, so it’s always nice to hear from others who have done it
I'm not sure what you mean...are you asking why OB/Gyns in general have a reputation for being difficult to work with?
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thats a GREAT schedule.
So, from all the OB/GYN doctors coming out of the residency, from the point of job availability out there, how many ppl have hospitalist jobs vs outpatient office jobs?
1. What factors led to you going into Ob/Gyn?
This was answered in another reply here but to sum it up, I didnt find any specialty/rotation i liked better than Ob/Gyn. I also love working with women, and liked that its (generally) a happy time in the patients lives.
2. Are you still happy working in that field, given the intensity of the lifestyle?
I work as a hospitalist, and do shift work, so my experience is very different than someone in Private practice. When I leave my shift I have no patient calls or charting to do at home, I dont get called into work other than my scheduled shifts. So my experience with the intensity of the lifestyle is very different.
3. What are you looking for in a residency applicant besides boards and class rank/clinical scores? (e.g., are aways necessary, is it okay not to have research that's explicitly in Ob/Gyn, etc.)
When evaluating residency applicants we first look at board scores and grades. There has to be a cutoff somehow. After that we look at their clinical and/or research experiences and their letters of recommendation. Its easy to tell a genuinely great letter of rec from a standard form letter that someone wrote before hand and just inserted name of applicant. I think away rotations are extremely important, both for getting experience and for letters of rec, making connections and having something interesting to talk about at interviews, but they definitely arent "necessary." It is ok to have research thats not in Ob/Gyn, some people decide on Ob late, and if they already did some great research its still impressive, as long as they now seem committed to Ob/Gyn.
4. What kind of person do you think is best suited to purse an Ob/Gyn residency?
It takes a very specific personality to be a good Ob/gyn resident. You need to be someone who can make decisions quickly under stress, who can handle constructive criticism, who likes the OR and is decent with their hands, who isnt grossed out by blood, who can function with very irregular sleeping schedules, it helps if you're able to fall asleep very quickly after being woken up! The residents who Ive felt werent suited for the field, or who decided to switch fields were those who werent able to make quick decisions in critical situations, who didnt like the OR, and who werent able to multitask in stressful situations such as being on call alone at night.
Hope this helped!
This was answered in another reply here but to sum it up, I didnt find any specialty/rotation i liked better than Ob/Gyn. I also love working with women, and liked that its (generally) a happy time in the patients lives.
2. Are you still happy working in that field, given the intensity of the lifestyle?
I work as a hospitalist, and do shift work, so my experience is very different than someone in Private practice. When I leave my shift I have no patient calls or charting to do at home, I dont get called into work other than my scheduled shifts. So my experience with the intensity of the lifestyle is very different.
3. What are you looking for in a residency applicant besides boards and class rank/clinical scores? (e.g., are aways necessary, is it okay not to have research that's explicitly in Ob/Gyn, etc.)
When evaluating residency applicants we first look at board scores and grades. There has to be a cutoff somehow. After that we look at their clinical and/or research experiences and their letters of recommendation. Its easy to tell a genuinely great letter of rec from a standard form letter that someone wrote before hand and just inserted name of applicant. I think away rotations are extremely important, both for getting experience and for letters of rec, making connections and having something interesting to talk about at interviews, but they definitely arent "necessary." It is ok to have research thats not in Ob/Gyn, some people decide on Ob late, and if they already did some great research its still impressive, as long as they now seem committed to Ob/Gyn.
4. What kind of person do you think is best suited to purse an Ob/Gyn residency?
It takes a very specific personality to be a good Ob/gyn resident. You need to be someone who can make decisions quickly under stress, who can handle constructive criticism, who likes the OR and is decent with their hands, who isnt grossed out by blood, who can function with very irregular sleeping schedules, it helps if you're able to fall asleep very quickly after being woken up! The residents who Ive felt werent suited for the field, or who decided to switch fields were those who werent able to make quick decisions in critical situations, who didnt like the OR, and who werent able to multitask in stressful situations such as being on call alone at night.
Hope this helped!
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Recently matched OB/GYN and will be an intern this summer. I know I should be enjoying my time but is there anything I should be doing to prepare? My suturing and knot tying is rusty and I haven't had any OB or GYN education since last October.
Congrats on the babies!!
Congrats on the babies!!
Congrats on the match! It was a competitive year. I’d say your priority this summer is to SLEEP, enjoy time with friends and family and take care of any doctor/dentist/car service appointments now that are due.
As for OB related skills I’d say watching some knot tying videos and practicing won’t hurt but you won’t be expected to know much. You will be expected to practice knot tying at home once intern year starts though. Also maybe follow some well known Ob physicians on Instagram because they often post little facts and educational posts and it keeps those topics in your mind without reading a textbook. Can start browsing the OB journals through your schools e-library if you’re not an ACOG member yet so you know current hot topics. Hope that helped!
As for OB related skills I’d say watching some knot tying videos and practicing won’t hurt but you won’t be expected to know much. You will be expected to practice knot tying at home once intern year starts though. Also maybe follow some well known Ob physicians on Instagram because they often post little facts and educational posts and it keeps those topics in your mind without reading a textbook. Can start browsing the OB journals through your schools e-library if you’re not an ACOG member yet so you know current hot topics. Hope that helped!
1) How much of an issue is malpractice? if you work for a big hospital, are you more shielded?
2) Any negatives about the field you wish you had anticipated early on?
3) When you rank applicants do you take into account their hometown/region?
Please let us know. thanks!
2) Any negatives about the field you wish you had anticipated early on?
3) When you rank applicants do you take into account their hometown/region?
Please let us know. thanks!
1. What should applicants be looking for at interviews/Sub-I that makes a good residency program?
2. What questions should students take into consideration when deciding on Ob/gyn as a specialty?
3. What issues to males in the field face? Do you foresee any changes for males in the field in the future?
2. What questions should students take into consideration when deciding on Ob/gyn as a specialty?
3. What issues to males in the field face? Do you foresee any changes for males in the field in the future?
Hi! Thank you for sharing your tips and experience!
I know it was not in the original post - but how familiar are you with fellowship applications? Are fellowships in ob/gyn similar to those in IM in that you need a lot of research + (ideally) and academic institution? I’m incoming M1 heavily considering this field (esp IVF)
I know it was not in the original post - but how familiar are you with fellowship applications? Are fellowships in ob/gyn similar to those in IM in that you need a lot of research + (ideally) and academic institution? I’m incoming M1 heavily considering this field (esp IVF)
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Hi
My daughter took an extra few months off between basic sciences and rotations for her marriage and having a baby. Should she mention this at her interviews? Her school put on her mspe studying for step one.
