Can I be an OB without the GYN

Question

Can I become an Obstetrician without having to become a Gynecologist?... I loveeee babies, pretty much the only reason I'm pursuing this career. But I'm just wondering if the Gynecology part goes hand in hand with the obstetrics part.. like do I HAVE to go through with the gynecology part too?

Answer 1

I think so... there are gyn's so there should be ob's right?

Answer 2

No. The residency (training after completing medical school) includes both.

If all you want to do is deliver babies, become a nurse midwife. Far fewer years of training are needed and you won't have huge malpractice insurance premiums.

Answer 3

I kind of agree with the other comment above. Why go through over 12-14 years of university studies to just focus on one very specific thing?

And yes, doctors, must do OB/GYN together. When you get farther into the career, you'll see that sometimes there's more to baby delivering than just saying "awwwwwwww!". I've been to a few births already and it is pretty fun, but baby delivering as a doctor isn't the only thing. There's times when you'll have to remove the uterus or get the tubes tied after the baby comes out.

OB/GYN's do a lot of legrades to scrub off remaining placenta in miscarriages. OB/GYN's also have the legal power to do provoked abortions. Not to mention cancer that affects women. Definitely not a residency I'd do.

If you love babies, you might find pediatrics more fun instead. They focus more on the "awww" part and don't focus on the mother's health issues.