A doctor of obstetrics is a medical doctor that has specialized in obstetrics and gynecology. The training and board certification for obstetrics and gynecology are combined; however, anyone interested in becoming a doctor of obstetrics is probably interested in the profession because they would like to deliver babies. There is a unique reward for people that deliver babies as a profession, but it is important to know that a doctor of obstetrics does much more than that.
Delivery is just the climax to a long drama, which is women’s health care and pregnancy. Most care that a doctor of obstetrics provides is gynecological services. Similarly, a doctor of obstetrics is not the only profession that delivers babies. In most states nurse midwives are equivalent to obstetricians in many respects. The primary difference is that midwives do not perform Cesarean surgery (C-sections). Likewise, some family and general practice physicians still deliver babies. Like midwives, family physicians do not perform surgeries related to delivery.
The steps involved in becoming a doctor of obstetrics are:
- Earn a bachelor’s degree with the required pre-med courses. Your performance in college will have a lot to do with whether you get into medical school (a requirement for any doctor of obstetrics). This means doing very well in all college courses, regardless of the major, but also in the pre-medical course requirements. These “pre-med” courses include biology, physics, general chemistry, organic chemistry and English. Each of the science courses has a laboratory requirement, too.
- Volunteer in a hospital or medical clinic. Volunteering is now considered a prerequisite for entry into medical school. While it might be difficult to find volunteer opportunities related to obstetrics in some hospitals, it is probably easier to find volunteer positions in women’s health clinics. Do not be surprised if these roles are not directly related to patient care. Remember, the goal is to get practical experience.
- Do well on the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). The MCAT is usually taken in the third year of college and is essential for medical school admissions. Topics include biology, organic chemistry, physics, general chemistry and verbal reasoning. The higher your score on the MCAT, the better your chances are of getting into medical school. The exam and score is standardized across prospective students and so it is very easy for admissions departments to use it as a gatekeeping tool.
- Graduate from medical school. While the format of medical school varies from school to school and has evolved dramatically over the past two decades, students will spend about two years in the classroom and two years in clinical rotations. Because of the recent surge in malpractice cases directed at doctors of obstetrics, the field is far less competitive than it once was. Nevertheless, you should still try to do very well. Since there is a fair (and surprising) amount of surgery involved in obstetrics and gynecology, it is useful to take elective surgical and OB/GYN rotations when offered.
- Complete an obstetrics/gynecology residency. An OB/GYN residency lasts four years and usually includes some combination of gynecology and obstetrics work along with surgery training and pathology. Some programs include research time as well. The residency is a paid position, earning approximately $40 to $50K per year depending on the hospital. However the “per hour” rate for residency is roughly $10 an hour.
- Obtain a license. In order to practice obstetrics and gynecology, you will need to obtain a license to practice medicine. The requirements for this vary from state to state.
Obstetrics is still a rather highly paid medical profession, although this is tempered somewhat by the high cost of malpractice insurance premiums in the field. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median salary for a doctor of obstetrics and gynecology in 2010 was $281,190. The job outlook over the next ten years is strong, growing faster than average at 24%.
Becoming a doctor of obstetrics is a long process, though it can be rewarding. The six figure salary may be attractive, but bear in mind that insurance premiums in this field can be five-figures or more. The profession is interesting because it is a hybrid of medicine and surgery, so the work is varied. There are other professions that allow you to deliver babies professionally, but no other line of work offers the opportunity to perform high risk deliveries, including Cesarean sections.