Scope of practise of a laborist

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Messerschmitts

Mythic Dawn acolyte
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Hello all, I'm a third-year medical student who is very interested in OB/GYN. I loved my rotation, especially delivering babies, but the "brutal" lifestyle still gives me a lot of hesitancy. I recently became aware of the possibility of becoming a shift-working "laborist". Prior to becoming interested in OB/GYN I wanted to do emergency medicine, and to me being a laborist sounded like combining what I liked about OB/GYN with EM, a perfect fit for me. I'm not too interested in the GYN surgical part of OB/GYN anyway. However, despite doing some internet searches I still have some confusion regarding the specific scope of practise for a laborist.

Do laborists perform C/sections? I hope they do, otherwise I would feel like a glorified midwife. I understand that laborists also help cover the ER and are available for consults on OB/GYN emergencies. Do they perform definitive surgical treatment for things like ectopic pregnancy? What are the job prospects for laborists like? It feels like it's still a field that is in its infancy, and spots seem to open sporadically at random locations (difficulty choosing where you want to be). I am a Californian exile for med school with a strong (okay, overwhelming, burning) desire to return to my home state.

What about the other side of the coin? Laborists exist so that they can compliment an ambulatory group practise of OB/GYNs who now no longer need to rush to the hospital at 3:00AM to make a delivery, and thus "specialise" into mainly caring for women on an outpatient basis (similar to the split being inpatient and outpatient internal medicine). How do these "outpatient OBs" practise? Do they still make deliveries if they occur during their "business hours"?

Thanks, all!

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I'm wondering about this too. I am a third year med student thinking about peds, ER or ob/gyn. I love working with my hands, the excitement of deliveries, and having some time in the OR. But the lifestyle has really dissuaded me from the specialty. I've heard that ob/gyns in VA are very happy because they are utilizing the whole laborist thing, and say it really makes hours better for everyone. I just wonder if it's going to catch on, or how common it is... I am willing to do a brutal residency, but I want options to work part-time and/or shift work when I get out.
 
This is info I had sent to me:
The OB Hospitalist (or Laborist) movement is growing quite rapidly and will likely be standard-of-care by the time you complete your Residency.
Our full-time doctors typically work one or two days per week. Compensation is $120 per hour. This equates to $150,000 for one day/week, $300,000 for two days/week.

Best wishes,

Chris

Christopher C. Swain, M.D.
OB Hospitalist Group, LLC
800-967-2289
Cell: 941-234-2022
Fax: 941-870-1034
www.ObHospitalistGroup.com
[email protected]
 
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This is info I had sent to me:
The OB Hospitalist (or Laborist) movement is growing quite rapidly and will likely be standard-of-care by the time you complete your Residency.
Our full-time doctors typically work one or two days per week. Compensation is $120 per hour. This equates to $150,000 for one day/week, $300,000 for two days/week.

Best wishes,

Chris

Christopher C. Swain, M.D.
OB Hospitalist Group, LLC
800-967-2289
Cell: 941-234-2022
Fax: 941-870-1034
www.ObHospitalistGroup.com
[email protected]

I have a hard time believing you can make 150K working 1 day a week. Considering that is just below what most newly minted residents make working a lot more than once a week.
 
$150/hr * 24hr/wk * 52 wk/yr = $149760 annually, without vacation
 
I think it's funny that despite all the excitement and perhaps hype the laborist "movement" has generated, no one even seems to know if they perform C/sections or not! :p Sounds great, but apparently we're all blind leading the blind.
 
I think it's funny that despite all the excitement and perhaps hype the laborist "movement" has generated, no one even seems to know if they perform C/sections or not! :p Sounds great, but apparently we're all blind leading the blind.

Of course they do c-sections. Did you read the website that he linked to? It lists all the coverage they provide. Including ED coverage for GYN issues (ie ectopics).
 
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