Obstetrician and Gynecologist

Overview

Who is Obstetrician and Gynecologist?

Obstetrics and Gynecology is generally combined into one specialty, both concentrating on female’s reproductive organs’ health. Obstetricians focus on reproductive health during pregnancy while Gynecologists concentrate on reproductive health external of pregnancy. 

Obstetrician-gynecologists (OBGYNs) are physicians who provide medical care related to female reproductive system, fertility, sexual health, pregnancy, or childbirth; provide diagnosis, treatment, and prevention diseases in women breast and cervical cancer, and hormonal disorders; and work with concerns around family planning, birth control, menstrual cycle, and menopausal symptoms.

Typical day at work

What does Obstetrician and Gynecologist do?

An obstetrician and gynecologist is a doctor who works in the department of the reproductive health of women. The obstetrician and gynecologist provide good medical support and care to the patients during and after childbirth. They diagnose, mark the prognosis, treat and help the individual in preventive measures from the illnesses and diseases in the reproductive health of the women. The obstetrician and gynecologist also tend to examine the women during pregnancy and perform medical surgeries in the time of need. The cesarean sections (C-section surgeries), IVF-based childbirth, and other types of complicated surgeries are conducted by the obstetrician and the gynecologist only. They also maintain and analyze the records and history of the patients and prescribe medicines according to them.

• Take, record, and maintain patient’s case history including medical history, test reports or scans
• Treat and provide medical care to females during the periods of prenatal, natal, and postnatal
• Prescribe medication or other specialized medical care for disease prevention or treatment
• To diagnose patient’s medical condition, analyse records, reports, scans, test results, or examination
• Discuss with patients treatment procedures and test results
• Check progress and update charts of patient’s condition and modify treatment plans if required
• Counsel patients about diet, activity, hygiene, and disease prevention
• Provide other health professional’s referral to patient
• Supervise nurses and mentor students and assistants
• Provide consultation to other doctors
• Plan and implement prevention and treatment health programs in hospitals or communities
• Draft reports for government and organization on birth, death, and disease statistics, staff evaluations or medical status
• Research on disease prevention and control by developing or testing medications, treatments, or procedures
• Administer and order preventative screenings or tests like Pap tests and mammograms for diagnosis to patients
• Assist patients to handle complications in fibroid tumours, infertility, preterm labour, etc.
• Administer surgical procedures, C-section, help mothers in labour, and deliver babies
• Analyse test results to recognize abnormal patterns
• Suggest and design individualized treatment plan
• Discuss concerns or answer patient’s questions about their health condition.

Abilities & aptitude needed

What are the skills, abilities & aptitude needed to become Obstetrician and Gynecologist?

OBGYN must be able to listen and communicate actively and attentively to the needs of the patients. They need to ask the right questions to interpret the information. They also regularly interact with other professionals and administrative staff. Thus, having good communication, in written and verbal as well as interpersonal skills is necessary.

They must be sensitive, calm, polite, patient, and empathic to patients’ needs and concerns. They need to make their patients feel comfortable and let them know they care, which requires them to have emotional intelligence.

In order to find a diagnosis based on connecting different symptoms, requires analytical thought, problem-solving, judgement, and decision-making skills.

They must show dedication, eye for detail, determination, persistence to commit to years of intense practice. They also need to have team and time management skills as a patient’s and its unborn child’s life is at risk.

They may work with very sharp tools, thus they need to have manual dexterity as mistakes can have serious consequences. They must have self-discipline, spatial orientation, physical stamina, and physical dexterity as they spend a lot of time on feet.

Courses

Which course I can pursue?