Anyone working with obstetrics and gynocology..?

Question

alrighty, so i've wanted to be an OB/GYN for a while, and i've recently been doing research on it, possible getting my under graduate at ECU..no idea what courses...and then go to medical school somewhere which i have no clue where, then residency.is that right?? but i've also realized i don't know if i have the patience to go to school an extra 12 years, or have the time/money to start my practice or buy someone elses...i'm only 15 now but i really want to know what i want to to before i start and not s***w up or anything.. are there any OB/GYN's here that can tell me how they became what they are and how they started their practice? details.. about all degrees or anything you went through, and how long it took, what courses, how much it cost... ect... ALSO, any one who is like a nurse practitioner or physician assistant dealing with gynocology or obstetrics please tell me what your job is and your journey on how you got to where you are. thank you so much!

Answer 1

Don't worry, it's not 12 extra years, it's only 7! Or 11 if you count undergrad.

Undergrad 4 yrs

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Med school 4 yrs

Residency 3 yrs

Becoming a doctor inherently takes lots of time and money for all that extra education.. have patience! I've been waiting since I was 15 too and it doesnt look all that much closer from where I'm standing either

Answer 2

The most important thing I want to stress before anything else is that most OB/GYNs don't have just their own practice. They (obstetricians) work through hospitals and require access to operating rooms and the NICU in case of emergencies. An obstetric AND gynecological practice, on the other hand, could easily have a satellite location that may or may not be affiliated with a hospital. Buying the office space is not too different from buying a house. You mortgage or take a loan and pay it off gradually.

The issue of education isn't as ominous as you may think. It's four years of undergrad, four years of medical school, a year of internship (PGY1), and three years of residency (PGY2, etc). A fellowship is optional after you complete your residency. It can last about two years and is typically research-oriented with the goal of solving a problem or gaining insight into a challenging aspect in a field.

Then there are the other options you mentioned. Becoming a PA (physician's assistant) can be done almost entirely in undergrad if your school offers a PA program. They can be very selective and you'll need strong marks in the sciences. Then, I believe, there may be two or three more years after college where you get essentially the same fundamental education as most physicians. PAs need to be right there with the doctor at all times so their knowledge must be substantial. PAs also get paid very well. A friend of mine is going to be earning close to $70,000 as a starting salary and he expects to earn up to $130,000 in his field within five or ten years (sorry I can't be more specific here).

A nursing position is yet another great alternative. The schooling is fairly brief and you get to start working much sooner than if you pursued an MD or DO. Depending on when and where you work, you could easily make close to, if not over, $100,000 annually.

The cost of all of this schooling, regardless of which career you ultimately choose, is highly variable. Whether you go to a public university or private, earn scholarships or pay your own way, work to help offset the cost or devote yourself entirely to your studies...it all matters. If ECU means East Carolina University, the tuition for in-state residents is increasing at a rate of about 3% every year and this year it is $4,200. Out-of-state tuition is $14,700. This will increase slightly each year once you start, as well. The cost of medical school also varies but it tends to be more expensive. In seven years (when you'll be 22 and possibly starting medical school) tuition may easily cost $40,000+ on average (right now it's about $34,000 at private schools and $18,000 at public institutions).

You do have quite a long time until you have to make any critical decisions. It's great that you know you want to enter the medical field in some way and I wish you the best. Don't worry about college because pre-meds get a ton of support as far as which courses to take and all of the extracurriculars, et cetera. If you want to kick start your resumé, try getting a volunteer job in a hospital or with the Red Cross. That's what I did during my summers when I was 15.