Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsConcentrationsProcedural ExpertiseSubspecialtiesTraining and CertificationAppointment Tips
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Concentrations
Procedural Expertise
Subspecialties
Training and Certification
Appointment Tips
The medical specialties of obstetrics and gynecology are closely related and often practiced together. Obstetrics is concerned specifically with childbirth and the care of women giving birth.Gynecologydeals with the functions and diseases specific to the reproductive tract in cisgender women, girls, and trans individuals assigned female at birth. When practiced together, the specialties are commonly referred to as OB/GYN or OB-GYN.
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Postgraduate training programs will combine the two disciplines so that healthcare providers are adept in dealing with health issues impacting people assigned female at birth as well as managing the stages of pregnancy.
According to theBureau of Labor Statistics(BLS), around 21,570 OB/GYN healthcare providers are actively practicing in the United States. The vast majority work in medical offices, outpatient clinics, and hospitals.
The fields of obstetrics and gynecology are distinct but invariably interlinked, in part to ensure a continuity of care if and when a woman becomes pregnant.
Obstetrics
Obstetrics involves care during preconception, pregnancy, childbirth, and the weeks following childbirth. The stages are defined as follows:
Gynecology
Gynecology deals specifically with the health of the female reproductive organs (including the ovaries, fallopian tubes, uterus, and vagina) and the breasts. Gynecologists provide both preventive services and medical or surgical interventions when needed.
In the United States, some states and health insurance companies will allow gynecologists to function both as a specialist and a woman’sprimary care healthcare provider.
In terms of treatment, gynecologists will commonly treat or manage conditions such as:
Obstetrics is devoted solely to conception, pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum care. Gynecology involves all other aspects of a woman’s health, although certain conditions may overlap during pregnancy.
During thefirst trimester, the woman will undergo a battery of tests to ensure that there are no medical conditions that might complicate the pregnancy. These may include an STD screen, Pap smear, urinalysis, and genetic testing forDown syndromeand other congenital disorders. Your OB/GYN will also estimate the due date for delivery.
Labor and deliverymay be induced or natural and involve either a vaginal birth or acesarean section (C-section). An anesthesiologist may deliver pain relief, including epidural, spinal, or combined spinal-epidural (CSE) anesthesia.
Gynecologists employ both surgical and non-surgical therapies to treat or manage conditions affecting a woman’s health. These a wide range of medications used to treat menstrual pain (includingCox-2 inhibitorsandnonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), heavy periods (tranexamic acid), vaginal dryness (propylene glycol and topical anesthetics), and vaginal infections (oral antibiotics, antifungals, and probiotics).
Gynecologists will also use hormone-modulating therapies to treat conditions ranging from heavy menstrual bleeding and endometriosis to infertility and menopause. It also includes oral and injectablehormonal contraceptivesto prevent pregnancy.
Non-hormonal contraceptives includeintrauterine devices (IUDs), cervical caps, diaphragms, contraceptive sponges, spermicides, and condoms (both internal and external).
Surgery is also a mainstay of a gynecological practice and is used to treat many conditions.
Some of the more common surgeries used in gynecology include:
While many OB/GYN healthcare providers will maintain a general practice, others will pursue a range of subspecialties that allow them to focus on a specific field of practice. These include:
Obstetricians and gynecologists typically need a bachelor’s degree, a degree from a medical school, and the completion of internship and residency programs to obtain a medical license. All told, you would expect to spend no less than 12 years in training and education.
Medical School
Medical schools are highly competitive. Most require you to pass theMedical College Admission Test (MCAT)and to complete prerequisite courses in advanced math, chemistry, biology, physics, and social science.
Medical students spend most of the first two years in laboratories and classrooms. During the last two years, you would work in different medical facilities, rotating through different fields of practice including internal medicine, family practice, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, psychiatry, and surgery.
Residency
Upon graduating as either adoctor of medicine(MD) ordoctor of osteopathic medicine(DO), you would need to complete both an internship and a residency in a hospital-based obstetrics and gynecology program. An internship is usually a year long, while a medical residency generally lasts for four years.
After the completion of your residency, you would need to be licensed in the state in which you intend to practice.
To obtain a license, you would need to pass a national exam—either theUnited States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE)for MDs or theComprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Exam (COMLEX)for DOs—and occasionally a state exam.
Board Certification
Once you have met the educational and training requirements, you can obtain board certification from theAmerican Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ABOG).
Some OB/GYN healthcare providers will embark on fellowship training after completing their residency. This could involve anywhere from one to three years of additional training to focus on specific aspects of obstetrics and/or gynecology.
No matter how old or young you are, a visit to an OB/GYN can be stressful. This not only includes undergoing a routine pelvic exam but also having to speak with your healthcare provider about your sexual practices and bodily functions. To help ease the anxieties:
Do not hesitate to leave a healthcare provider who makes you nervous, dismisses your concerns, or rushes you. Ask your primary care healthcare provider for referrals or speak to friends and family about the OB/GYN healthcare providers they see.
A Word From Verywell
A career in obstetrics andgynecologycan be incredibly rewarding. Not only do you have the opportunity to participate in childbirth, but you are involved as much in thepreventionof disease as thetreatmentof disease—arguably more than any other medical profession.
But there are downsides. OB/GYNs often work long hours and have to deal with the stress of miscarriage, pregnancy complications, and conditions for which there are limited treatment options.
Another downside is the high liability that comes with delivering babies. This liability results in highermalpractice insurancecosts for many healthcare providers, even those with an otherwise clean practice record.
With that being said, nearly three out of every four OB/GYN healthcare providers expressed high to very high satisfaction with their job, according to a survey published in theAmerican Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.Job autonomy, healthcare provider, patient relationship, and financial compensation were among the positive attributes of the profession.
According to the BLS, the average annual salary for an OB/GYN in 2021 was $296,210 with an hourly wage of $142.41.
10 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.United States Bureau of Labor Statistics.Occupational employment and wage statistics: Obstetricians and gynecologists.Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.What happens during prenatal visits?American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.ACOG redesigns postpartum care.MedlinePlus.Types of health care providers.Alberta Health Services, Government of Alberta.Female genital problems and injuries.March of Dimes.Group B strep infection.American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Medications for pain relief during labor and delivery.American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Subspecialties of OB-Gyn.Johnson CT, Choubey V, Satin AJ, Werner EF.Malpractice and obstetric practice: The correlation of malpractice premiums to rates of vaginal and cesarean delivery.American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2016;214(4):545-546. doi:10.1016/j.ajog.2015.12.056Bell DJ, Bringman J, Bush A, Phillips OP.Job satisfaction among obstetrician-gynecologists: A comparison between private practice physicians and academic physicians.Am J Obstet Gynecol.195(5):1474-1478. doi:10.1016/j.ajog.2006.05.039Additional ReadingAmerican College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Well-woman visit.Bureau of Labor Statistics.Occupational employment and wages, May 2023: Obstetricians and gynecologists.Edmonds DK, ed.Dewhurst’s Textbook of Obstetrics & Gynaecology. Wiley-Blackwell; 2012. doi:10.1002/9781119979449.Gupta N, Dragovic K, Trester R, Blankstein J.The changing scenario of obstetrics and gynecology residency training.Journal of Graduate Medical Education. 2015;7(3):401-406. doi:10.4300/JGME-D-14-00730.1
10 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.United States Bureau of Labor Statistics.Occupational employment and wage statistics: Obstetricians and gynecologists.Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.What happens during prenatal visits?American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.ACOG redesigns postpartum care.MedlinePlus.Types of health care providers.Alberta Health Services, Government of Alberta.Female genital problems and injuries.March of Dimes.Group B strep infection.American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Medications for pain relief during labor and delivery.American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Subspecialties of OB-Gyn.Johnson CT, Choubey V, Satin AJ, Werner EF.Malpractice and obstetric practice: The correlation of malpractice premiums to rates of vaginal and cesarean delivery.American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2016;214(4):545-546. doi:10.1016/j.ajog.2015.12.056Bell DJ, Bringman J, Bush A, Phillips OP.Job satisfaction among obstetrician-gynecologists: A comparison between private practice physicians and academic physicians.Am J Obstet Gynecol.195(5):1474-1478. doi:10.1016/j.ajog.2006.05.039Additional ReadingAmerican College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Well-woman visit.Bureau of Labor Statistics.Occupational employment and wages, May 2023: Obstetricians and gynecologists.Edmonds DK, ed.Dewhurst’s Textbook of Obstetrics & Gynaecology. Wiley-Blackwell; 2012. doi:10.1002/9781119979449.Gupta N, Dragovic K, Trester R, Blankstein J.The changing scenario of obstetrics and gynecology residency training.Journal of Graduate Medical Education. 2015;7(3):401-406. doi:10.4300/JGME-D-14-00730.1
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
United States Bureau of Labor Statistics.Occupational employment and wage statistics: Obstetricians and gynecologists.Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.What happens during prenatal visits?American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.ACOG redesigns postpartum care.MedlinePlus.Types of health care providers.Alberta Health Services, Government of Alberta.Female genital problems and injuries.March of Dimes.Group B strep infection.American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Medications for pain relief during labor and delivery.American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Subspecialties of OB-Gyn.Johnson CT, Choubey V, Satin AJ, Werner EF.Malpractice and obstetric practice: The correlation of malpractice premiums to rates of vaginal and cesarean delivery.American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2016;214(4):545-546. doi:10.1016/j.ajog.2015.12.056Bell DJ, Bringman J, Bush A, Phillips OP.Job satisfaction among obstetrician-gynecologists: A comparison between private practice physicians and academic physicians.Am J Obstet Gynecol.195(5):1474-1478. doi:10.1016/j.ajog.2006.05.039
United States Bureau of Labor Statistics.Occupational employment and wage statistics: Obstetricians and gynecologists.
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.What happens during prenatal visits?
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.ACOG redesigns postpartum care.
MedlinePlus.Types of health care providers.
Alberta Health Services, Government of Alberta.Female genital problems and injuries.
March of Dimes.Group B strep infection.
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Medications for pain relief during labor and delivery.
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Subspecialties of OB-Gyn.
Johnson CT, Choubey V, Satin AJ, Werner EF.Malpractice and obstetric practice: The correlation of malpractice premiums to rates of vaginal and cesarean delivery.American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2016;214(4):545-546. doi:10.1016/j.ajog.2015.12.056
Bell DJ, Bringman J, Bush A, Phillips OP.Job satisfaction among obstetrician-gynecologists: A comparison between private practice physicians and academic physicians.Am J Obstet Gynecol.195(5):1474-1478. doi:10.1016/j.ajog.2006.05.039
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Well-woman visit.Bureau of Labor Statistics.Occupational employment and wages, May 2023: Obstetricians and gynecologists.Edmonds DK, ed.Dewhurst’s Textbook of Obstetrics & Gynaecology. Wiley-Blackwell; 2012. doi:10.1002/9781119979449.Gupta N, Dragovic K, Trester R, Blankstein J.The changing scenario of obstetrics and gynecology residency training.Journal of Graduate Medical Education. 2015;7(3):401-406. doi:10.4300/JGME-D-14-00730.1
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Well-woman visit.
Bureau of Labor Statistics.Occupational employment and wages, May 2023: Obstetricians and gynecologists.
Edmonds DK, ed.Dewhurst’s Textbook of Obstetrics & Gynaecology. Wiley-Blackwell; 2012. doi:10.1002/9781119979449.
Gupta N, Dragovic K, Trester R, Blankstein J.The changing scenario of obstetrics and gynecology residency training.Journal of Graduate Medical Education. 2015;7(3):401-406. doi:10.4300/JGME-D-14-00730.1
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