Is it at all possible to go into OB and hate the OR?

[ciestar]

Title.
Obviously my dilemma. I loved OB/gyn but my surgery rotation is the bane of my existence. I don’t care for the OR really at all. L&D was my happy place, as was clinic. I just have heard over and over that if you’re not a surgery person, OB residency will be hell because you do spend quite a bit of time in the OR. (I am not talking hating c-sections. Gyn/urogyn and gyn onc more-so).

This is more why I am leaning FM. I can still get quite a bit of women’s health in my training/practice and there are OB fellowships. Is this the best course? I just hate the “what-if’s” considering I loved my OB rotation and what it entailed.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Dr G Oogle]

It is possible; but you’ll probably just have to grin and bare it, only you can decide if you can do that. Personally I hated L&D and OB in general but was motivated enough to do a surgical fellowship that I was able to cope with the misery, I also thought OB reading material and MFM were very interesting so that helped as well. If you can find some bright spot to get you through the gyn part you could do it; gyn rotations tend to be less malignant than the OB ones (though obviously that could be subjective)

 

[ciestar]

It is possible; but you’ll probably just have to grin and bare it, only you can decide if you can do that. Personally I hated L&D and OB in general but was motivated enough to do a surgical fellowship that I was able to cope with the misery, I also thought OB reading material and MFM were very interesting so that helped as well. If you can find some bright spot to get you through the gyn part you could do it; gyn rotations tend to be less malignant than the OB ones (though obviously that could be subjective)

Thank you for your response!
I also worry about my overall competitiveness. My step 1 score isn’t the best and I have a regional limitation.

 

[Dr G Oogle]

Definitely apply as broad as you can in your region and probably have a back up in FM, obgyn is getting pretty competitive for whatever reason

 

[mcat_taker]

My concern with FM is that outside of truly rural areas, no FM docs I know actually use their OB training (or even their peds training). Most of them seem to just see adults as outpatient primary care doctors. I thought about FM, but I see myself practicing in at least a mid size city with readily accessible specialist care so FM doesn't seem to be a viable back up to OB. Not only thought but FM docs will rarely get the volume of OB patients to justify carrying that level of malpractice insurance required.

 

[Dr G Oogle]

Those are valid concerns and all are accurate. To my knowledge there are few FM docs doing OB outside of poor access areas, the West part of the country may be different though. On the other hand, there are very very VERY nice rural areas to live in make a good living and spend 10 weeks a year training. To be honest for any specialty the novelty wears off eventually and it becomes a job, so honestly pick a residency that gives you the least angst and the best prospects.

 

[mcat_taker]

Those are valid concerns and all are accurate. To my knowledge there are few FM docs doing OB outside of poor access areas, the West part of the country may be different though. On the other hand, there are very very VERY nice rural areas to live in make a good living and spend 10 weeks a year training. To be honest for any specialty the novelty wears off eventually and it becomes a job, so honestly pick a residency that gives you the least angst and the best prospects.

What do you mean by spend 10 weeks a year training rurally?

 

[Dr G Oogle]

What do you mean by spend 10 weeks a year training rurally?

Sorry typo, I meant 10 weeks on traveling. The ol’ autocorrect is rather selective in what it chooses to...autocorrect

 

[BigTumor]

It’s very regional. I am in a big city and there is an FM OB service at every hospital I work at. I was in med school in a small city in the Northeast and there was FM OB. They are not as high volume as OBGYN or the CNMs but they have patients and FM docs taking OB call and doing prenatal care.

 

[Daisy_Buchanan]

As a former gen surg resident (turned OB), I think I can safely say that even if you hate the OR in gen surg, you may love it in OB. At least in my experience, 99% of the time in gen surg, the environment was so malignant and the teaching so scarce, that it can put off even the biggest enthusiast. As a specialty, gen surg has not figured out how to put forth information to newcomers effectively. My main sources of information used to be YouTube and prayer. (Also, let’s be honest: Poop. Pus.)

Operative experience in OB is the complete opposite. I’m sure this is program dependent, but it was the case at my med school program AND my residency institution which are hundreds of miles apart. Can’t deny a trend..maybe get some exposure to gyn surgery and see if your sentiment toward the OR changes.

 

[IMGASMD]

As someone who work with ob and surgeon...... each group of their own quirks.

Your ob practice will be not all surgical, until maybe later in your career. You sort of grow up with your own patients. Start off when you take care of their ob problems. Later on their gyn problems.

I wouldn’t recommend FM with ob, unless you want to practice in a rural area. It’s always hard to defend: Dr (insert name) there are 5 board certified ob/gyn within 10 mile radius of here, why didn’t you refer the patient to them?”

That being said, when I was graduating, most of my Obgyn attendings all said, don’t do it unless you truly love it. Some of my classmates basically work 1/4 of the year for free (malpractice insurance premium).

 

[makethemostofit]

.

 

[BigTumor]

I changed from ob to IM just since not liking OR. Love delivering babies but IM cool too. Just makes sure it’s the OR you don’t like and not the people in the OR

That is actually a good point. I really liked general surgery MS3, hated it MS4, and didn’t like Gyn surgery in med school. I now love Gyn surgery when just left to do my thing, but I’m often dreading working with the personalities of the OR staff. Some can be pretty rude/annoying/condescending even to senior residents. I think though if I was a more surgeony person I could probably tune that out and just love operating despite it.

 

[ciestar]

I changed from ob to IM just since not liking OR. Love delivering babies but IM cool too. Just makes sure it’s the OR you don’t like and not the people in the OR

The people weren’t terribly bad, although a few residents were just miserable jerks.

It is definitely the OR i hate. I hated having to scrub and stand there forever. I know it is different as a resident/attending, but i have a bad back and that would badly trigger pain.

I applied FM with no regrets.

My step 1 also wasnt the best and I was told I would need a backup if i applied ob.