Identify Med Schools With Strong OB-GYN Programs

Physicians who specialize in obstetrics and gynecology, or OB-GYN for short, often have the privilege of delivering babies and bringing life into the world, and doctors who specialize in this area of medicine say this aspect of their jobs is profoundly rewarding.

However, medical school faculty who focus on this discipline emphasize that, contrary to a common misconception, not everything in their area of medicine involves babies or fertility.

Experts in OB-GYN medicine say prospective medical students who are interested in this specialty should be aware that, in addition to writing birth control prescriptions and monitoring pregnancies, OB-GYN physicians may also diagnose and treat cancers in female sex organs, assist women with pelvic floor disorders, perform hysterectomies, run fertility clinics and serve as primary care physicians for female patients. Some OB-GYN physicians also terminate pregnancies via abortion procedures, while others abstain from that practice.



Dr. Amy Young, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology and the chair of the women's health department at the University of Texas—Austin's Dell Medical School, says one of the aspects of OB-GYN medicine that attracts many aspiring physicians is the variety of work assignments that this type of doctor can get given the vast array of potential patients, since OB-GYN physicians cater to women, who comprise slightly more than half of the U.S. population.

Another positive aspect of the job, Young says, is that physicians in this field are often able to solve a patient's problem with an immediate solution, such as through a surgery procedure or a baby delivery, and they can forge long-term relationships with a patient.

OB-GYN medicine experts say that this medical specialty intersects with many other medical disciplines since it focuses on the health care needs of women, and thus is impacted by any health care concern that is prevalent among women.

"Women's health speaks to a much broader spectrum of specialties that care for women, and specifically a women's health institute would not just incorporate OB-GYN but would also incorporate cardiology, psychology, rheumatology, gastroenterology... [and] internal medicine," says Dr. Benjamin Schwartz, a gynecologic oncologist, the chairman of the department of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwell Health Southside Hospital on Long Island and an associate professor of OB-GYN medicine at the Zucker School of Medicine, a medical school formed through a partnership between Hofstra University and Northwell Health, a nonprofit New York health care provider that operates multiple hospitals in New York.

Schwartz says that medical schools offering women's health institutes tend to prioritize OB-GYN medicine, and these schools also teach about how OB-GYN medicine is connected to other areas of medicine and convey how complex this medical specialty can be.

"Our discipline is much more than just delivering babies and performing hysterectomies," Schwartz says.

He suggests that aspiring OB-GYN doctors target medical schools where they will have the opportunity to explore the multiple subspecialties within OB-GYN medicine, such as reproductive endocrinology and infertility, a type of medicine that addresses both hormonally driven fertility problems and non-hormonal fertility issues, and maternal-fetal medicine, which focuses on maintaining the health of a pregnant woman and her fetus.

One indication that a medical school teaches OB-GYN medicine well is if it offers lessons on robotic surgery techniques, since those techniques can be used to ensure that gynecology surgeries are as minimally invasive as possible, and reduce the recovery time for patients, Schwartz says.

Here are three other signs that experts say indicate a medical school teaches OB-GYN medicine well and prepares its students to thrive in an OB-GYN residency. When vetting medical schools, experts also say it's important to bear in mind that many schools have low acceptance rates, so it's not always possible for a medical school applicant to get into a school that matches all of his or her preferences.

1. A high residency match trend among recent grads: Experts say the best indication that a med school provides solid preparation for an OB-GYN career is to see how many of its recent grads were matched with a strong OB-GYN residency program. OB-GYN "residency placements are important given that medical schools build a reputation with residencies and are more likely to accept students from medical schools whose students they have experience and history with," says Dr. Jane van Dis, a board-certified OB-GYN physician with the Ob Hospitalist Group, a national provider of OB-GYN hospital care.

She warns that if only one of a medical school's recent grads have matched with an OB-GYN residency, that is a red flag that a school may not teach OB-GYN medicine well.

Ideally, it's best to attend a school which is home to a strong OB-GYN residency program, since that gives a med students an advantage in the residency application process, says Dr. Shahin Ghadir, an assistant clinical professor in the department of obstetrics and gynecology with both the David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California—Los Angeles and the Keck School of Medicine at University of Southern California.

2. Relevant extracurricular opportunities: Experts say that a med school with multiple student clubs relating to reproductive health and where students have the opportunity to participate in OB-GYN medicine research projects is often a good place for an aspiring OB-GYN physician to study.

"A pre-existing student interest group provides a student with a leadership opportunity to be engaged in OB-GYN in the preclinical years," Dr. Jeannette Lager, director of medical student education at the University of California—San Francisco School of Medicine, said via email. In addition to her administrative role at UCSF's medical school, Lager is also an associate professor at the university.

3. Multiple courses that focus on women's health: It's ideal for a medical school to address OB-GYN medicine topics in numerous medical school courses, including courses that aren't strictly focused on OB-GYN medicine, experts say.

Lager recommends that medical school applicants find out about the courses available at each school they are interested in. "Look at the curriculum to evaluate the amount of women's health in the curriculum," Lager said via email. A medical school that teaches this specialty comprehensively will address topics like abortion, LGBT issues, sexual health and transgender care, Lager says.

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