Obstetrician/Gynecologist are those who specialize in women exams, and with further residency training, they’ll be in charge of delivering babies, performing operations such as hysterectomies, or removal of ovarian cysts. Yet, by continuing to a fellowship, you can explore the specialty even more. Here are 4 Ob/Gyn major sub-specialties that you should consider taking.
Ob/Gyn overview
Obstetrics is the branch of medicine that cares for women before, during, and after childbirth. The main duty of an obstetrician is to maintain a woman’s overall health while they’re in the maternal state. Similar to obstetrics, gynecology also takes care of women’s health, however, they focus more on the women’s bodies and care for the reproductive system and the lymphatic organs, such as the breasts.
OB/Gyn can hold office visits, perform surgery, and help out with labor and delivery. Some OB/Gyn work in large medical groups and hospitals, but others may have their clinic and practice solo.
4 major subspecialties of OB/Gyn
1. Maternal-Fetal Medicine
This type of specialist usually tends for high-risk pregnancies cases. For patients suffering from chronic or gestational high blood pressure, diabetes, blood clotting disorders, the potential of premature labor, and many more varieties might need the support of an OB/GYN. Women in their early pregnancy with these previous conditions will be seeing a Maternal-Fetal Medicine Sub-Specialist since their first term, in case there are any complications.
Working as a maternal-fetal medicine specialist, you’ll be aiding in a lot of critical and difficult infertility cases, but the result is just as rewarding. You’ll be seeing healthy babies being born and loved by their mothers. Plus, the salary for this type of specialist isn’t low either, you’ll be earning about $539,795 annually.
2. Reproductive Endocrinology
These sub-specialists are experts in infertility. This specific type of endocrinologist addresses any issues that might affect the glands and hormones in the endocrine system, causing infertility. They perform procedures such as:
- In vitro fertilization
- Gamete intrafallopian transfer
- Zygote intrafallopian transfer
- Embryo transfer
A common misconception is that Reproductive Endocrinologist is a subspecialty of Endocrinology. Endocrinologist treats hormonal conditions that are resulted from diabetes, thyroid gland, and other glands, and of course, Reproductive Endocrinologist is trying to treat impregnation.
3. Gynecologic oncology
As a part of the oncology team, Gynecologic oncologists specialize in diagnosing and treating cancers of the female reproductive systems. This means if you’re suffering from breast cancer, ovarian cancer, endometrial cancer, also known as uterine cancer, and vulvar cancer you’ll most likely be referred to this specialist. Often, they will be prescribing and administering chemotherapy, as well as removing the tumor using surgery. On average, a Gynecologic oncologist will be earning about $403,412, not a low salary compared to other medical fields.
4. Urogynecology
In urogynecology, they will be handling any issues related to urinary problems in women. Although their name is quite similar to the Urology specialty, this type of specialist does something totally different. A patient with difficulty in controlling their own bladder while sneezing, coughing, laughing, or anytime that the abdominal muscles are stressed, will need the help of a Urogynecologist. There is more than 1 way to treat this condition, including medication and surgical procedures and they will all be performed by a Urogynecologist.
Sometimes, urogynecology will be joined with the female pelvic medicine and reproductive surgery subspecialty, focusing on women’s urinary tract disorder. They will be treating conditions such as:
- Vaginal or urinary tract infections
- Overactive bladder
- Bladder pain
- Pelvic organ prolapses
Education
An OB/Gyn specialist usually follows the same courses up to their residency. They must first complete their bachelor’s degree and follow up by another four years of medical school training, before completing their residency focusing on obstetrics and gynecology. The residency and fellowship will be completed in the hospital setting, under the supervision of a senior physician or doctor.
After finishing the required training program, you must also take a specialty board certification exam accredited by the Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology to become a certified OB/GYN. Every 6 years, this degree must be renewed and re-sit, to make sure you’re always up to date on your practice.
Conclusion
First, you’ll need to understand the steps to becoming an OB/Gyn doctor. After completing your degree and a residency, you’ll be able to explore this field further, diving into its subspecialties.