The *Definitive* Pre-Rotation Advice Thread: OB/GYN

[PaddyofNine]

This is my first ever clinical rotation starting in 10 days or so.

Any advice that you wish someone had bestowed on you before your rotation? Do's/Dont's etc?

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[Fermata]

If you're a dude then don't expect to be able to get it up any time soon.

 

[Tired]

If you're a dude then don't expect to be able to get it up any time soon.

Alternatively, try to nail one of the residents. That way at least one person on the rotation won't treat you like ****.

 

[ears]

Be a duck. By which I mean, there's a lot of crap coming your way, probably, and the easiest way to deal with it is to just let it run right off of you. Ob/Gyn residents tend to be difficult to deal with (usually because they're being badly treated themselves), but if you're calm and don't react badly when things get a little crazy, you'll come out looking pretty good and having a decent experience.

I started with Ob/Gyn, too. It wasn't my thing, but I didn't have a terrible time, either.

 

[fang]

Be a duck. By which I mean, there's a lot of crap coming your way, probably, and the easiest way to deal with it is to just let it run right off of you. Ob/Gyn residents tend to be difficult to deal with (usually because they're being badly treated themselves), but if you're calm and don't react badly when things get a little crazy, you'll come out looking pretty good and having a decent experience.

I started with Ob/Gyn, too. It wasn't my thing, but I didn't have a terrible time, either.

I also started with OB-gyn. Study so you can do well on the shelf, get involved as much as you can, and don't take anything personally. I may have had an unusual rotation experience, but the residents were extremly unpleasant to everyone in my rotation group... if that happens to you try to remember it's them, not you. Also, there are a lot of ethically challenging situations that come up-- late abortions involving counting fetal parts, women who take drugs during pregnancy, women dying of ovarian cancer. Since you can't discuss those issues with the residents, you might want to figure out who you can go to talk to (classmate, friend, etc.).

 

[MadameLULU]

I also started with OB/GYN and i think its a great rotation to start off with, particularly for surgery oriented types.
1.You get accustomed to arriving and leaving the hospital when the sun isn't up so you're not in for a rude awakening when surgery begins.
2. You learn about pre-operative management and post operative management of surgical patients.
But it's also an interesting mix of medicine (at least I think it is, haven't rotated on medicine yet) particularly with the diabetic OB (titrating doses of insulin).

In terms of things to expect, I think it's universal to most rotations. Help the residents out, but dont waste your time doing scutwork. My experiences was split up into an OB month and a Gyn month. OB was by far the worst schedule of the two, so if your schedule is similar, i advise you to get most of your studying in during the gyn month. Search the threads about what to study and focus your studying on MANAGEMENT/What's the next step questions.

 

[Dr JPH]

1. I agree with 'dont take anything personally'
2. Try to be diligent about having things done before you are asked
3. Arrive early, stay late
4. Know how to read a fetal heart monitor before you get there "VEAL CHOP"

Good luck

 

[dfagod]

Realize that OB residents are the most evil and miserable human beings on earth. Just keep your head down, and get out of there in one piece.

 

[nutcancer]

Even the straight female residents will have lesbian style haircuts. Just something to know so it doesn't surprise you.

 

[Arsenic]

when you're on labor and delivery, at least at our hospital the best people to stick with were the interns and midwives. the senior residents were way too busy managing the floor to spend any real time with students. if its the same way at your institution, stick to an intern or midwife if you want to see a lot of deliveries.