Ob/Gyn - tailoring career to your interests?

[blackcadillacs]

Hello!

I'm in the middle of choosing what speciality to apply to and am very strongly considering Ob/Gyn. However, I see myself liking some parts of the specialty more than others, and am wondering if you can pick and choose which ones to practice?

For example, I likely would not specialize. I am not super interested in delivering babies, but I do want to do ambulatory gyn and surgery, esp provide abortion care. Could I theoretically tailor my career where for example, I worked at Planned Parenthood full time? Or worked at a private practice or hospital and potentially not deliver babies? Would you be even remotely viable as a job applicant anywhere if you didn't do deliveries?

Are the only choices as a general ob/gyn to have a full scope of practice at either a hospital or private practice? What are other options are available?

I just don't really understand whether or not you have to do everything as a general ob/gyn or if you can be particular about which parts you do.

Thank you!!

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[pd1112]

Hello!

I'm in the middle of choosing what speciality to apply to and am very strongly considering Ob/Gyn. However, I see myself liking some parts of the specialty more than others, and am wondering if you can pick and choose which ones to practice?

For example, I likely would not specialize. I am not super interested in delivering babies, but I do want to do ambulatory gyn and surgery, esp provide abortion care. Could I theoretically tailor my career where for example, I worked at Planned Parenthood full time? Or worked at a private practice or hospital and potentially not deliver babies? Would you be even remotely viable as a job applicant anywhere if you didn't do deliveries?

Are the only choices as a general ob/gyn to have a full scope of practice at either a hospital or private practice? What are other options are available?

I just don't really understand whether or not you have to do everything as a general ob/gyn or if you can be particular about which parts you do.

Thank you!!

You can be particular about "which parts you do" in every specialty of medicine to a certain degree.

 

[DrMidlife]

can't get away from obstetrics for the 4 years of residency

after that, you can work as a gyn generalist or gyn hospitalist. Kaiser actually makes you pick ob or gyn, not both.

 

[mdobgyn]

You have to like both OB and GYN enough to get through residency, but many folks practice only OB or only GYN afterwards.
You could definitely be a generalist but only do GYN. You could also consider fellowship training in Family Planning, MIS, Urogyn, REI, Gyn/Onc, or Peds/Adolescent Gyn.
Given your interest in providing abortion care, check out http://www.familyplanningfellowship.org/. This is an especially great opportunity if you are interested in academics/research or advocacy work or international work, but many, many generalists provide abortion care in their own practices or in settings like Planned Parenthood without additional training past OB/GYN residency.
Here is a list of OB/GYN residency programs that have rotations dedicated to family planning training: http://www.ryanprogram.org/map-and-locations.

 

[obgyny]

Kaiser actually makes you pick ob or gyn, not both.

Well that is true in Northern California Kaiser system, but not in Southern California. Not sure about other states.

 

[blackcadillacs]

Thank you so much for the responses!

I actually loved my two weeks on L&D, especially watching C-sections, so residency shouldn't be an issue. I just think in the long run I could see myself getting bored of it, and also it seems like the worst hours on Ob/Gyn come from the obstetrics part of it? What are the hours like for someone who does just gyn?