Core Rotation 1: Obstetrics and Gynecology
Obstetrics and Gynecology (a discipline that has fused together over the decades) is a core clerkship rotation for every medical student. I came into the rotation dismissing this field as a possibility, and I leave the field with a fiery passion to learn as much as I can about it. I was fortunate to learn from some outstanding OBGYNs who helped me articulate what it is about medicine that I cherish and what values I hold close to me that are evident in practicing obstetrics and gynecology.
Tomorrow is my first Shelf Exam (exit exam for each clerkship). Over the last six week I have been very grateful to learn from two amazing preceptors, first assist on a myomectomy case, assist in delivering six babies vaginally (one I got to "catch" myself), assist in four c-sections, observe a tubal ligation, witness various and intriguing urogynecology procedures from assessing prolapse to urodynamic studies, learn from some great nurses and medical teams who provide the backbone for what OBGYNs do, gain insight to some of the intricacies of the business of medicine, and meet many new-to-me RUSM medical students and some nice OBGYN residents.
More importantly, I am blessed for having met some amazing and strong women who have made invaluable teachers as well as the many, many patients I got to learn from through direct practice and application of learned theory and skills. Not every case can be a happy one, and it takes courage and determination to find the silver lining in all the sad stories too. There are faces and stories that I will never forget, and I am excited for the next step in my journey while I bring their teachings with me.
My next rotation is Psychiatry which should prove interesting as I get to learn about practicing in a field that is primarily clinical after coming from a field that relies on many high-tech diagnostic capabilities on top of clinical assessments developed through the evolution of medicine .
