5 answers
Sophia
Student
Yuma, Arizona
1
Question
Asked
993 views
What is the hardest step of becoming a doctor who specializes in labor and delivery?
My name is Sophia and I’m 13 years old, my dream career is to be a labor and delivery specialist and I want to know what are some of the harder steps of being a labor and delivery Doctor and I will also like to know what are some thing I can do at a young age to be prepared or know more about to be a labor and delivery Specialist.
5 answers
Andre L. Wimberly, MPH, MSc, MD, PhD
Physician Scientist Professor
1
Answer
Burlington, Vermont
Updated
Andre L.’s Answer
Hello Sophia,
I am a MD and PhD (in fact I have 5 degrees). One thing that will help tremendously is to know the process of becoming a Physician (Medical Doctor or M.D.). The physician that you are referring to is called an Obstetrician. You need to really think hard now and decide if you would like to embark upon this long academic journey. Medical schools typically will take top students and it is extremely competitive. You need to excel in high school and do well on your standardized tests. This will help you get acceptance into a good university. Once you are an undergrad (college) you will do 4 years and then graduate. Again you will need to excel in all of your courses and obtain a great score on a standardized test called the "MCAT" which means medical college admissions test. Once you have applied and been accepted into medical school, then you will have 4 years of medical school. The first two years you will complete required coursework (in class) and then the last two it will be clinical rotations in the hospital with different departments (you will start seeing patients with other students, residents, and the attending). Typically after the second year you will have to take your first board exam (there are a total of 3) we call it Step 1. Then you will have to complete Step 2 as well before you graduate. Once you have finished the 4 years and these 2 exams, next you will have to apply to residency. You will go through a process called "Match", where you match up with the residency program (hopefully) that you have applied for. Residency is to specialize to what kind of MD you want to be (you are an MD and graduated, but you have more training to do). As a "MD resident", you will be paid (not alot usually, about 60 to 80k pending on the specific residency that you are accepted into). Usually most residency programs are going to be on average 4 years. You will also have to take that 3rd exam (Step 3) for completing licensure. For an Obstetrician it is usually 4 years. Once you finish residency, then you will become the Attending Physician. Obstetricians can make from 3 to 400000 dollars, some even more than that. It is a long process, but if you love science and medicine then you will not really mind the timeline. Once you are finished it is a very rewarding profession. However, it has it pros and cons just like any other job. I am not an Obstetrician, however I am in Emergency Medicine and I work on Traumatic Brain Injury. I really hope this helps. Check out some videos on youtube or just google. Here is one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8w5jkkLxt6k
Begin networking as well. Talk with your parents, anyone that may be a physician, counselors at school.
See if you can shadow a physician (any type) if it is an obstetrician even better (since that is what your interested in)
Keep asking questions
Study hard....and after that ....study even harder!
NEVER GIVE UP! Even if you find this is not your path, what ever you go into make sure that you believe in yourself that you can do it!
I am a MD and PhD (in fact I have 5 degrees). One thing that will help tremendously is to know the process of becoming a Physician (Medical Doctor or M.D.). The physician that you are referring to is called an Obstetrician. You need to really think hard now and decide if you would like to embark upon this long academic journey. Medical schools typically will take top students and it is extremely competitive. You need to excel in high school and do well on your standardized tests. This will help you get acceptance into a good university. Once you are an undergrad (college) you will do 4 years and then graduate. Again you will need to excel in all of your courses and obtain a great score on a standardized test called the "MCAT" which means medical college admissions test. Once you have applied and been accepted into medical school, then you will have 4 years of medical school. The first two years you will complete required coursework (in class) and then the last two it will be clinical rotations in the hospital with different departments (you will start seeing patients with other students, residents, and the attending). Typically after the second year you will have to take your first board exam (there are a total of 3) we call it Step 1. Then you will have to complete Step 2 as well before you graduate. Once you have finished the 4 years and these 2 exams, next you will have to apply to residency. You will go through a process called "Match", where you match up with the residency program (hopefully) that you have applied for. Residency is to specialize to what kind of MD you want to be (you are an MD and graduated, but you have more training to do). As a "MD resident", you will be paid (not alot usually, about 60 to 80k pending on the specific residency that you are accepted into). Usually most residency programs are going to be on average 4 years. You will also have to take that 3rd exam (Step 3) for completing licensure. For an Obstetrician it is usually 4 years. Once you finish residency, then you will become the Attending Physician. Obstetricians can make from 3 to 400000 dollars, some even more than that. It is a long process, but if you love science and medicine then you will not really mind the timeline. Once you are finished it is a very rewarding profession. However, it has it pros and cons just like any other job. I am not an Obstetrician, however I am in Emergency Medicine and I work on Traumatic Brain Injury. I really hope this helps. Check out some videos on youtube or just google. Here is one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8w5jkkLxt6k
Andre L. recommends the following next steps:
James Hanson
Pediatric Intensive Care Physician; Consultant
160
Answers
Oakland, California
Updated
James’s Answer
It is wonderful to set a personal target, and to consider the steps it will take to get there - and the inevitable barriers we all face navigating life. The physicians who specialize in labor and delivery are obstetricians/gynecologists. They go through all the steps that any physician takes through college and medical school, then choose to do a residency in that specialty. Many go on after that to sub-specialize.
The biggest challenge currently for OB/GYN is that the government is telling patients and doctors what is and is not acceptable. Such laws have driven many doctors out of the specialty, or led to them moving to other states that do not restrict the doctor-patient relationship. The other huge challenge is that federal funding to Medicaid, which provides insurance to many low-income and disabled people (and a large percentage of children) has been cut so that many hospitals cannot afford to stay open at all, or are closing their maternal care units.
So - the specialty is fantastic and rewarding, but the political climate makes it tough for many.
You are many years away from getting to that point, so hopefully your decisions, and those of your future patients, will be made without government telling you what is right and wrong - scientific advancement and personal choice will do that.
The biggest challenge currently for OB/GYN is that the government is telling patients and doctors what is and is not acceptable. Such laws have driven many doctors out of the specialty, or led to them moving to other states that do not restrict the doctor-patient relationship. The other huge challenge is that federal funding to Medicaid, which provides insurance to many low-income and disabled people (and a large percentage of children) has been cut so that many hospitals cannot afford to stay open at all, or are closing their maternal care units.
So - the specialty is fantastic and rewarding, but the political climate makes it tough for many.
You are many years away from getting to that point, so hopefully your decisions, and those of your future patients, will be made without government telling you what is right and wrong - scientific advancement and personal choice will do that.
Madison Buchman
doctor
160
Answers
West Hartford
Updated
Madison’s Answer
Hi there, as an OBGYN myself, I wok on labor and delivery. Now, this is not the ONLY role most of us do as OBGYN physicians. Some obgyn's do only obstetrics or only gynecology, but many people do a mix of both. Obstetrics means pregnancy related care and alot of times that not only includes taking call/working on labor and delivery at the hospital but seeing pregnant women in an emergency room/triage setting and the office (prenatal and postpartum care visits). This can really look different for lots of OBGYN jobs though. As far as becoming and OBYGN this is done by matching into OBGYN residency after medical school. In general in the unites states, OBGYN residency can be tough to match into. However, "tough" can mean different things. The number of spots vs the number of applicants will change the competitiveness of the matcha and for every specialty this will change each year and is different for each. Political climate certainly impacts this rate for OBGYN as well.
As far as the chances of matching into OBGYN residency, you can increase your chances by getting good grades in med school/shadowing/volunteering/doing research/getting good letters of recommendation. I highly suggest shadowing/volunteering in med school or even college to get more real in person exposure to the career and make sure that it's right for you long term!
There are SOME people who may also do internal medicine or family medicine and then do a fellowship/extra training to take call for low risk obstetrics (maybe see some low risk prenatal visits or take call on labor and delivery). This is likely more common in low income/rural areas where the need for care is extensive and there are less OBGYN trained physicians per mile/patient population.
Hope this helps,
Madison
As far as the chances of matching into OBGYN residency, you can increase your chances by getting good grades in med school/shadowing/volunteering/doing research/getting good letters of recommendation. I highly suggest shadowing/volunteering in med school or even college to get more real in person exposure to the career and make sure that it's right for you long term!
There are SOME people who may also do internal medicine or family medicine and then do a fellowship/extra training to take call for low risk obstetrics (maybe see some low risk prenatal visits or take call on labor and delivery). This is likely more common in low income/rural areas where the need for care is extensive and there are less OBGYN trained physicians per mile/patient population.
Hope this helps,
Madison
Wishah Mohammednour Ahmed Mohammednour
Medical Laboratory
5
Answers
Khartoum, Sudan
Updated
Wishah Mohammednour’s Answer
Dear Sophia, you have the ability to follow your dream by regularly reading about science. This will help you develop patience and learn to work well under pressure. You'll gain these skills by examining many patients each day. I work in a laboratory, close to obstetrics and gynecology, and I see how much physical and mental effort it takes. But remember, you are helping to create new life and preserve the lives of mothers. Keep going; your work is truly meaningful.
Nicole Banda
Speech-Language Pathologist
4
Answers
Buda, Texas
Updated
Nicole’s Answer
Per my Aunty:
Hahaha! It's a lot of long hours of study, training which requires endurance, but it is a lot of FUN hustle-and-bustle if you really want to be a laborist and a nocturnalist.
I am so thrilled and impressed that you already know of your field of interest. You can watch Discovery channel on "delivering babies both naturally and, by Cesarean Section". See if you can abide by the blood and amniotic fluid involved in every delivery. This is at the clinical level. In Medical School, the first slalom gate is "dissecting a cadaver". The smell of formalin can be prohibitive. You can look up illustrations of these on Google in an "Atlas of Anatomy." Peruse through books on Obstetrics and Gynecology. Consult with a librarian so he/she can procure a few books for you on the subject. Blessings to you, dear Sophia.
Sincerely,
Maria MD
Hahaha! It's a lot of long hours of study, training which requires endurance, but it is a lot of FUN hustle-and-bustle if you really want to be a laborist and a nocturnalist.
I am so thrilled and impressed that you already know of your field of interest. You can watch Discovery channel on "delivering babies both naturally and, by Cesarean Section". See if you can abide by the blood and amniotic fluid involved in every delivery. This is at the clinical level. In Medical School, the first slalom gate is "dissecting a cadaver". The smell of formalin can be prohibitive. You can look up illustrations of these on Google in an "Atlas of Anatomy." Peruse through books on Obstetrics and Gynecology. Consult with a librarian so he/she can procure a few books for you on the subject. Blessings to you, dear Sophia.
Sincerely,
Maria MD
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