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Do you have to do a certain amount of training to become a OB GYN?

I am very nice, so talkative, I love baby's . #doctor

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Gerald’s Answer

In order to become a Ob/Gyn physician, you first need to go to medical school, and prior to that, you need to complete an undergraduate education with completion of pre-med courses which include Biology, Biochemistry, Chemistry, and Physics. After entering medical school, the first two years you learn the broad basics of medicine, and in your third and fourth years, you will complete a clinical rotation in Ob/Gyn where you would work in the hospital with residents and physicians. During your fourth year, you would apply for a residency position in Ob/Gyn that is an additional four years. During your third and fourth year, you will also complete at least one rotation in Pediatrics, where you will work with babies as well as children, both in the outpatient (office) setting and in the hospital when babies are born, including in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (ICU), which is an additional 3 years of training after a Pediatrics residency. So you would use your third and fourth year of medical school to explore and see which specialty matches your interests, the lifestyle you desire, and will allow you to treat and care for babies, whether it is in Labor & Delivery (Ob/Gyn), or after the baby is born (Pediatrics).
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Dan’s Answer

Looks like Gerald has provided all of the information to follow the physician route. It definitely takes a big commitment and a lot of years to become an Ob/Gyn doctor. Alternative paths to caring for babies and young children you may want to explore are going to nursing school and working in the OB/delivery area of a hospital, going to school to become a physicians assistant ( PA) or studying to be a midwife.

Dan
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Katherine’s Answer

Hi Marlene!

Gerald and Dan did a great job answering. I am an OB/GYN, and I can concur with everything they said. We need good, passionate OB/GYN’s though - not enough counties in America have active OB/GYN coverage! So, if you are interested, it is definitely possible and encouraged. It is quite a commitment and does take a lot of work, but it is worth it. Something to know about OB/GYN’s is that we are equal parts Obstetricians (taking care of pregnant women and delivering babies via vaginal delivery or cesarean delivery) and Gynecologists (seeing patients for GYN needs in clinic as well as GYN surgeries! That’s right - we perform surgeries routinely on women who aren’t pregnant, too). My advice would definitely be to find an OB/GYN to shadow and talk to and keep exploring!
Alternative options that aren’t quite as many years (it takes 12 years and many, many tests to become an OB/GYN): Midwifery (CNM), L&D Nurse, GYN Physician Assistant, GYN Nurse Practitioner

Best of luck to you!
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