How to make Ob/Gyn work with Global Health

[SCmedstudent]

Hi all, I am a medical student planning to go into Ob/Gyn. I also manage a nonprofit abroad. My ideal career would have me working 9 months out of the year in the U.S. with three months to do global health work abroad. Is it possible to make this work in Ob/Gyn? Some advisors I have talked to think it is unlikely. I wouldn't mind sacrificing salary.

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[anonperson]

Hi all, I am a medical student planning to go into Ob/Gyn. I also manage a nonprofit abroad. My ideal career would have me working 9 months out of the year in the U.S. with three months to do global health work abroad. Is it possible to make this work in Ob/Gyn? Some advisors I have talked to think it is unlikely. I wouldn't mind sacrificing salary.

Won't work in private practice or any type of health system. Your value is seeing patients and providing care.

What do you mean by global health work? Seeing patients abroad? Surgical mission type trip? Doing OBGYN in a third world country?

Would you be willing to work part time? Then you may be able to make it work. Most likely in an academic setting but you would need a supportive chair.

 

[AMEHigh]

Yes it’s possible if you align your career goals in the right spaces. Through academics there are tons of global health programs and departments. I know multiple people who are in obgyn that also do stuff in other countries.

 

[SCmedstudent]

Yes it’s possible if you align your career goals in the right spaces. Through academics there are tons of global health programs and departments. I know multiple people who are in obgyn that also do stuff in other countries.

Thank you AMEHigh! This response means a lot. Would you mind potentially messaging me their contact info?

 

[Dr G Oogle]

It’s possible to do that. Just in my own immediate circle I have colleagues who are 20% clinical and do 80% managing the hospital VC arm right out of residency (has an MBA from top B-school) another joined us from a similar background and does about 30% global health. Probably won’t even need to sacrifice salary if you have a forward thinking department (in my experience though few obgyn departments are forward thinking) and it’ll definitely have to be academics or Locums work. What will be tough for you is the residency years I am not sure if a residency will be willing to give you enough free time to do the global health part during your 4 years, you are essentially a worker bee and they are not interested in prolonging your training. You can do sure use vacation and elective time to do it but that’s a one way ticket to burn out. If you’re set on this path find a reliable colleague to run this part of the Org you have while you toil away on L&D. It’s not just obgyn residency but most likely all specialty training programs that will be like this.