Preview of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Chapter from Success on the Wards

 

All medical students benefit from an increased knowledge of women’s health. The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Yale University writes “that physicians of all specialties will care for female patients who present with reproductive health issues, whether it is a teen seeking contraception, a young athlete with amenorrhea, a pregnant woman with an autoimmune disease, a patient with type II diabetes and abnormal uterine bleeding, or a post-menopausal woman with breast cancer and symptoms of hypoestrogenemia.”

 

Although only 5% of U.S. medical graduates enter the specialty, the obstetrics and gynecology clerkship is a core clerkship, and therefore this grade will be utilized in the residency selection process of any field. According to the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at University of California Davis, “USMLE scores and clerkship grades (especially in ob/gyn, surgery, and internal medicine) are considered factual data and ranked high.” However, honoring the rotation is challenging. “Obstetrics and gynecology is a difficult field, and it takes a truly outstanding student to earn an Honors grade in the clerkship,” writes Dr. Yasuko Yamamura, clerkship director of the University of Minnesota obstetrics and gynecology rotation. In a survey of medical schools across the country, Takayama found that only 29% of students achieve the highest grade in the obstetrics and gynecology rotation.

 

In our Obstetrics and Gynecology chapter, you’ll find outlines and templates that will enable you to complete the daily responsibilities, obstetric admission history and physical exam, and postpartum notes following vaginal delivery and Cesarean section. Do you know what LOP, TOA, or IUGR stand for? This chapter reviews the commonly used abbreviations in obstetrics and gynecology.

 

The chapter ends with recommendations for students who wish to pursue obstetrics and gynecology as a career. Dr. Vicki Mendiratta, clerkship director of the UCSF obstetrics and gynecology clerkship, writes that the “3rd year is an excellent time to review your credentials to date” and to “make reasonable recommendations regarding your residency options.” You’ll learn the data on student qualifications from the NRMP Match. You’ll also learn specific ways to strengthen your residency application, as well as suggestions on how to identify a mentor and schedule electives.