Question - need help.

[DaniMD]

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What is the progression and average age of someone who has just completed their OBGYN residency?

I met a 26 year old woman who "claims" to be a doctor who's just completed her residency. in her words:

"I'm an OB/GYN. I'm specialized in Fetal/ Pediatric Surgery. I just finished my residency."

Being a former pre med myself, I say this is IMPOSSIBLE. you figure you enter undergrad around 18, 4 years of UG, 4 years of med school (considering you dont take time to do research and go straight to med school)... and that's 26 right there.

plus interning and residency?!?!

i call shenanigans.. I just wanted advice from people who would know for sure before I call her on it.

Thanks so much! I just dont think someone should go around spouting med advice and claiming to be a doctor if they arent!

 

[DrJD]

Your basic timeline is correct, but sounds like she is more confused that you thought. Fetal/Pediatric surgery isn't a subspecialty of Ob/Gyn. Most often the physician would perform fetal surgery would be a "pediatric surgeon" which is a fellowship after a 5 year general surgery residency.

She may be referring to a Maternal/Fetal Medicine specialist, which is a 3 year fellowship after the 4 year OB/GYN residency. I think there are a couple hospitals where the Maternal Fetal Medicine doctors perform fetal surgery, but like I said earlier I am under the impression that is normally the pediatric surgeons.

So, lets say she was a maternal/fetal medicine doctor who happens to be at one of the locations where they perform surgeries. You are looking at...
4 years of undergrad, 4 years of medical school, 4 years of residency, and 3 years of fellowship until she is done. So that is 15 years. So if she started college at 18, she would be 33 by the time she was done. I think you can safely call her out on it 🙂

What is the progression and average age of someone who has just completed their OBGYN residency?

I met a 26 year old woman who "claims" to be a doctor who's just completed her residency. in her words:

"I'm an OB/GYN. I'm specialized in Fetal/ Pediatric Surgery. I just finished my residency."

Being a former pre med myself, I say this is IMPOSSIBLE. you figure you enter undergrad around 18, 4 years of UG, 4 years of med school (considering you dont take time to do research and go straight to med school)... and that's 26 right there.

plus interning and residency?!?!

i call shenanigans.. I just wanted advice from people who would know for sure before I call her on it.

Thanks so much! I just dont think someone should go around spouting med advice and claiming to be a doctor if they arent!

 

[DaniMD]

Thanks!!!🙂

 

[Diane L. Evans]

A perinatologist can perform fetal surgery depending on where they train. Doing a college/medschool program you technically could graduate med school at 20 then enter a 4 yr residency and be on a fast track with fellowship in 3 years. Perhaps she still is in fellowship.

 

[DaniMD]

Doing a college/medschool program you technically could graduate med school at 20 then enter a 4 yr residency and be on a fast track with fellowship in 3 years. Perhaps she still is in fellowship.

Wait... graduate college/med school in 2 years? how is that possible?

 

[Diane L. Evans]

baby doc.... finishes high school at 16 and enters directly into college 3 yrs and last year of college transfer into med school. I had a couple friends at NIH who were pulmonologists and critical care fellows age 26

 

[DrJD]

A perinatologist can perform fetal surgery depending on where they train. Doing a college/medschool program you technically could graduate med school at 20 then enter a 4 yr residency and be on a fast track with fellowship in 3 years. Perhaps she still is in fellowship.

Yea they can, but in your opinion, isn't it normally pediatric surgeons?

 

[DaniMD]

baby doc.... finishes high school at 16 and enters directly into college 3 yrs and last year of college transfer into med school. I had a couple friends at NIH who were pulmonologists and critical care fellows age 26

so they have 3 years of regular college and ONE YEAR of med school. thats a scary thought.

she says she is a "fetal/pediatric surgeon" who completed her residency. verbatim. seems off.

she also claimed that her hospital gave her an office and $80,000 a year budget for an "assitant".

 

[DrJD]

so they have 3 years of regular college and ONE YEAR of med school. thats a scary thought.

she says she is a "fetal/pediatric surgeon" who completed her residency. verbatim. seems off.

she also claimed that her hospital gave her an office and $80,000 a year budget for an "assitant".

She's saying, go to college from 16 to 19, med school from 20 to 24... or a 7 year BS/MD from 17 to 23... of course there is still 7 years PGY so that would still be 30 at the youngest.

 

[fuzzyerin]

alternatively, maybe she's just lying about her age? i know that personally, the idea that when i finish fellowship i'll by 35 is a hard pill to swallow...who knows if i'll go around at that point shaving some years off?

 

[chrisisinnocent]

alternatively, maybe she's just lying about her age? i know that personally, the idea that when i finish fellowship i'll by 35 is a hard pill to swallow...who knows if i'll go around at that point shaving some years off?

Either way she's a liar

 

[stonewall22]

A perinatologist can perform fetal surgery depending on where they train. Doing a college/medschool program you technically could graduate med school at 20 then enter a 4 yr residency and be on a fast track with fellowship in 3 years. Perhaps she still is in fellowship.

What's fast track?

 

[Global Disrobal]

You can fast track into fellowship and essentially finish residency in 3 years and utilize your fourth year to start fellowship.

 

[DrJD]

You can fast track into fellowship and essentially finish residency in 3 years and utilize your fourth year to start fellowship.

Really? Is this program specific? More info if you have it! 🙂

 

[Global Disrobal]

Its fellowship and residency program specific, meaning that it'll take a bit of coordinating. Talk to your program director regarding details.

 

[BlueIsis]

OP - While the story does sound a little fishy...it is technically possible.

I didn't do to medical school until I was thirty, but I graduated high school at fifteen. If I had done a BS/MD degree (seven years) straight out of high school and then completed an OB/Gyn residency (four years), I would have been 26-years-old at the completion of residency.