OBGYNDoc
Minneapolis, MN
Female, 36
I am a practicing Obstetrician and Gynecologist, providing care for women in all stages of life. Approximately half of my practice consists of pregnancy-related care, including routine prenatal care, high risk obstetrics, and delivering babies at all hours of the day. The other half consists of gynecologic care, which ranges from routine annual check-ups to contraception and menopause. I perform many surgeries, including laparoscopies and hysterectomies.
The days of the solo practitioner OB who takes call every night are pretty much non-existent these days. Most OBGYN practices have adopted a group call system or a night float system. With the group call system, you are only on call once every 4-7 nights, depending on how many physicians are in your group. This allows for a very reasonable lifestyle. I am able to attend my kids' concerts and recitals, spend most weekends with my family, and in general feel like I have control over my schedule. It does require that you take your share of the holidays, so I am typically on call over one of the major holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years) and one minor holiday (Memorial Day, July 4, Labor Day) per year, but that is a sacrifice that you really become accustomed to over time. Sure, your non-physician friends and family may be whooping it up while you've been up all night at the hospital, but you learn to feel good about the ways you've made the world a better place. As I drive to the hospital on a holiday morning, I think how lucky I am to have a job that feels important and is gratifying. I think how many people are working at Starbucks, gas stations and movie theaters on holidays, and how that must feel unnecessary.
Many large groups have adopted a night float system in which one physician is responsible for night call for an entire week, but will have the days off to sleep and recover. With this system, you might only take a few weeks in a year.
In the end, being an OBGYN is a great career choice because you truly make a difference in people's lives every day. While there is personal sacrifice, the rewards certainly make up for any time lost from your personal life. You learn to function on less sleep- I typically have a full day of office on a post-call day and then go home to make dinner for the family, help with homework and get ready for bedtime. I wouldn't have it any other way!
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