Thread: Men

**Rich' Trash** · 02-03-2007, 04:49 PM

I'm wondering.. is it still acceptable for men to go into this speciality? I know that alot of the senior consultants are men - I imagine thats largely because there were a lot less women graduating medical school 15 years ago.

The reason I ask is.. yesterday, as a nursing assistant, I was looking after a lady recovering from thoracic surgery. She was/is 4 weeks off her due date, and was in terrible pain because the pain killers they usually give someone with this level of pain could not be administered because of the feotus's health. I found it fascinating how the doctors had to similtaniously think about her health and that of the baby and how they both effect one another. I'd ruled out OB/GYN because I feel that alot of women would prefer a female doctor, and also the fact that the thought of the practicalities makes me alittle squimish :S but after this experience I'm rethinking it somewhat.

**S Knights** · 02-03-2007, 06:38 PM

It certainly is still acceptable for men to go into Obs & Gynae! I hope it stays that way too, since it's the speciality I want to go into in a couple of years time...

I've looked into this quite a lot over the last few years, and a lot of men still go into gynae. It doesn't really seem to be a problem at all, with most of the patients I have spoken to not having a preference about the gender of their doctor, as long as he or she is capable! Of course you do have some patients who prefer to see a female doctor, but then again you also see male patients in urology who would prefer to have a male doctor... if that happens you just try to accommodate their wish as best you can.

Give it a try when you get to do a rotation, if the practicalities still make you squeamish then perhaps it might not be for you... but if not don't discount it just because you are a man.

**yeliab_cram** · 08-04-2007, 04:49 PM

I was 110% against going into obs and gynae before i did it. I thought that it was most definately not one for the men nowadays and should be left to the ladies to sort out.

However, having done it for 6 weeks i can attest that there are lots of nice male doctors in O&G, and it is actually a very appealing specialty - i still dont think its for me, but i cant think of many others where you have the opportunity to be a physician and a doctor and really make a difference to the quality of life of your patients... even if a lot of them are a little mad!

**blueberrypie** · 09-04-2007, 08:53 PM

When I was pregnant, I had a male obsteotrician and he was lovely. He always brought humour to the job, and was generally more sympathetic to all of the complications I had, than the women were.

Women are just like, 'well thats the way it is - when you have this'. Whereas the male ones were much nicer (except one w***er). Although, I am very funny (myself - not with the opinion of) with male midwives. I could never stand the thought of a male midwife (prude, I know).

I think men make lovely obseotricians. Gynaecologists though... you would have to start wearing a bow-tie (lol

) as they all seem too. Apparently ties might get in the way (EEEEWWWWW). Good luck.

**S Knights** · 10-04-2007, 03:17 AM

I've started a collection of bow-ties already... looks like my fate in the speciality is sealed!

**Purrr** · 10-04-2007, 05:08 AM

lol

I'm considering O&G too, but let's see if I still think that in 5 years' time... plus I'm a woman so not the right gender for this thread

Good luck in your career choices though, O&G sounds like such an interesting and rewarding field!

**Miss M.** · 17-04-2007, 03:43 PM

Can I enquire as to your reasons for wishing to specialise in OB/GYN?

Emma.

**S Knights** · 17-04-2007, 08:13 PM

It is the only medical speciality which has managed to interest me thus far... which at the most basic level is what I'm after in a profession.

There are a variety of reasons why it appeals:

I like it because in obstetrics most of the patients are healthy, and tend to leave hospital quickly and with a happy outcome. But when things do go wrong you have to be very on-the-ball to make sure that you don't end up with two dead patients... which is terrifying, but something that for some reason I really want to be able to do, and do well.
In Gynae a great number of the patients have conditions which are amenable to treatment, and in a considerable number of cases you can improve their lives immeasurably with just a small device, or a drug, or a swift operation. Even when it comes to the gynae cancers you tend to have a reasonable chance of doing something useful.

The sheer number of sub-specialities also makes for an interesting life I think; you can be a generalist who does a bit of obs and a bit of gynae, or you can specialise in one and not so much the other, or you can become a minimally invasive gynae surgeon, or focus on gynae cancers, or urogynaecology, or psychosexual medicine, or high risk obstetrics, or foetal medicine, or fertility medicine... The list just goes on, and most of them have at least a few good things going for them in my opinion.

There's also the old standard response of: "it's the only speciality which can truly combine being a physician with being a surgeon". Which is true to some extent, and does make things interesting.

I do get quite a lot of stick for wanting to be an "Obs and Gobs" doctor, but I really do think it is a fantastic speciality.

**Medic2013** · 17-04-2007, 08:48 PM

hmmmm, thats the kind of speciality i would want, where you get a proper mix of being a medic and a surgeon......

**Shehan** · 17-04-2007, 09:54 PM

Originally Posted by S Knights

It is the only medical speciality which has managed to interest me thus far... which at the most basic level is what I'm after in a profession.

There are a variety of reasons why it appeals:

I like it because in obstetrics most of the patients are healthy, and tend to leave hospital quickly and with a happy outcome. But when things do go wrong you have to be very on-the-ball to make sure that you don't end up with two dead patients... which is terrifying, but something that for some reason I really want to be able to do, and do well.
In Gynae a great number of the patients have conditions which are amenable to treatment, and in a considerable number of cases you can improve their lives immeasurably with just a small device, or a drug, or a swift operation. Even when it comes to the gynae cancers you tend to have a reasonable chance of doing something useful.

The sheer number of sub-specialities also makes for an interesting life I think; you can be a generalist who does a bit of obs and a bit of gynae, or you can specialise in one and not so much the other, or you can become a minimally invasive gynae surgeon, or focus on gynae cancers, or urogynaecology, or psychosexual medicine, or high risk obstetrics, or foetal medicine, or fertility medicine... The list just goes on, and most of them have at least a few good things going for them in my opinion.

There's also the old standard response of: "it's the only speciality which can truly combine being a physician with being a surgeon". Which is true to some extent, and does make things interesting.

I do get quite a lot of stick for wanting to be an "Obs and Gobs" doctor, but I really do think it is a fantastic speciality.

ye you do make it sound like the ideal speciality. I dno though, will have to experience all that first hand with all the screaming ladies. I have heard of a male gynaecologist not recognising his patients by face but by their.......... yeah lol. Hmm dno