#ACOG18 from a Med Student Perspective
I attended the annual Ob-Gyn conference from ACOG recently in Austin, Texas, and I it was definitely a must for any aspiring Ob-Gyn. There are many activities designed for medical students that is unique to this discipline. The first morning started with going to registration to get badge and basic event information. Having previously attended a District Meeting, I had a good idea of the flow and what to expect at this event (which is a MUCH bigger scale). I was logged into the meeting app already and had my schedule on my phone, so the print out schedule I received was no surprise. Also, there’s flexibility in changing some of the events you choose to attend. If a specific lecture topic appeals more to you than one you may have picked previously, then you can go see what you want. For medical students, they have three days of activities laid out that are part of a “course” that they do over the time you’re in medical school to foster the next-generation of students intending to apply Ob-Gyn.
There are two broad groups - matched fourth year students and everyone else. The matched students engage in a course geared specifically to prepare the student entering residency in July by teaching them basic skills expected of an intern. I look forward to next year’s conference and being one of those matched fourth year students. For the other students who have yet to match, there are different learning opportunities for medical students to engage in and be able to meet others interested in the field. We were also given opportunities to do some hands-on learning with simulations and practice doing various procedures like IUD insertions and suture practice. This was probably my favorite activity.
One evening, my school hosted an alumni event where I was able to meet two practicing Ob-Gyns. It is awesome to be able to speak to practicing physicians preceding me who are familiar with the island experience and what it means to be an IMG aspiring to match into an Ob-Gyn residency. They were very encouraging and gave me some fantastic tips to put myself out there and connect with prominent physicians in the field. One event where I got to practice this advice, was the residency fair. This is probably one of the most essential events to attend to as a medical student. I was able to meet with program directors from various residencies across the U.S., and learn about the pro’s and con’s of each program. One of the programs present for this event was from the site where I will be doing a sub-internship in October this year, and I am more than excited to go see the program in person. More to come…
One piece of unsolicited advice that I would give at this juncture is treat conferences like they are also an interview —> be on your best and professional behavior as you never know who is watching. One of the mixers we had had free wine and mixed drinks, and it was easily apparent which students may already be developing some binge-drinking behaviors…and they definitely stood out. I would be weary of how you conduct yourself at events such as these because no one wants to be remembered as “the guy holding three drinks” or “the woman sloshing her wine as she spoke”… and no one was fond of “the dude who showed up in his pajamas.” I wore a suit each day as I wanted to dress the part of someone who understands the respectable profession we are entering. Most practicing physicians wore business casual. I would say the minority of the thousands of attendees wore any jeans or casual clothing. I did not notice anyone in shorts (I was expecting at least one since it is Texas and it was hot outside).
I gained so much insight over these three days that really made the upcoming application and interview season more real than ever. I am looking forward to the next step in the process. I am taking Step 2 CK in a month’s time, and then I will be fine-tuning my ERAS application once the process opens. I intend to have my application ready for submission by the earliest chance as many PD’s recommended the applications be ready when they start reviewing candidates on September 16th. I start my Ob-Gyn elective tomorrow (although I originally signed up for urogynecology but alas the elective was full), and I am looking forward to learning from a physician I have worked with before and who I know will help me gain hands-on experience to get more exposure to a field which I already love.
Oh, and this is my birthday month so I plan to make the most of the few days I have left in my twenties but I fully look forward to the next decade of life as someone much more solidified in who I am and what I wants to do when I grow up. If you have any questions about ACOG or the annual meeting, reach out to me anytime!