What Degrees Do Obstetricians Need?
Obstetricians are physicians who have specialized in Obstetrics and Gynecology (OB/GYN). The most common education pathway to become a physician requires two degrees for a total of 8 years of education beyond high school. The first degree is usually a Bachelor of Sciences from an accredited four-year college or university, followed by four-year Doctorate degrees of Medicine or Osteopathic Medicine.
However, the education does not stop there. All physicians, including obstetricians, must complete a one-year post-graduate program of internship. As a medical specialty, obstetrics requires a minimum of an additional four-year training program called a residency.
Specialized Training in Obstetrics
The residency training for licensed physicians to become OB/GYN's is designed to provide broad-based knowledge in all aspects of health care for women. Comprehensive obstetrics education includes the management of women's health during pregnancies (prenatal), deliveries of infants and follow-up care (postpartum). It will include everything from routine outpatient management of normal pregnancies to rapid decisions and intervention in cases of emergencies.
Pregnancy Management
Along with physical changes a woman experiences during pregnancy, the obstetrics resident physician will learn all aspects of normal and abnormal development of the fetus during pregnancy; the actions and effects of drugs, analgesics and anesthetics on both mother and developing fetus. Skills for safe delivery of the baby will include normal spontaneous vaginal delivery, recognition of the circumstances and surgical training necessary for performing vaginal or abdominal surgical deliveries. Training in postpartum care will include knowing the physiological and psychological changes that occur in new mothers.
Additional Areas of Education
Other areas of obstetrics-specific training and education are the following:
Ultrasonography - identifying pelvic tumors, ectopic pregnancies and other pelvic pathology through ultrasonic technology.
Genetics - knowledge of the indications during pregnancy for genetic amniocentesis, fetal blood sampling.
Family planning and psychosexual counseling -- familiarity with issues of infertility; the pharmacology of contraception; prevention and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases; prevention and treatment of abortion complications.
Diagnostic and therapeutic surgery
Advanced Areas Specialization
Obstetrician/gynecologists may receive more specialized training for two to three additional years in the following areas: high-risk obstetrics (a management plan for medical and surgical complications of pregnancies); female reproductive system pathology (diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis, pelvic inflammatory disease and infertility); gynecologic oncology (diagnosis and treatment of gynecologic cancer in its early stages and management of more advanced diseases); breast disease; infectious diseases specific to obstetrical and gynecological patients; pediatric and adolescent gynecology.
More Streamlined Pathway
A recent development in physician education, a more streamlined pathway begins immediately after high school graduation. Students participate in a six or seven-year program, earning bachelors and doctorate degrees simultaneously. This route to becoming a physician requires higher SAT scores than most college and university undergraduate admissions, and students must be in the upper 10% of their high school graduating classes. A listing of most medical and osteopathic school listings, including the six-year programs, may be found at Medical Help Net (www.medicalhelpnet.com).
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