Obstetrics and gynaecology

Obstetrics and Gynecology (often abbreviated to OB/GYN, OBG, O&G or Obs & Gynae) is the medical specialty that deals with obstetrics and gynecology. The postgraduate training program for both aspects is unified. This combined training prepares the practicing OB/GYN to be adept at the care of female reproductive organs' health and at the management of pregnancy.

Education and Training

The common route for an OBGYN student is to earn an undergraduate degree, graduate from medical school and complete a residency at a hospital prior to certification.

Becoming an obstetrician-gynecologist (OB-GYN) requires about 11-14 years of education and practical experience. The first 7-9 years are general medical training. Doctors begin to specialize in OBGYN practice during residency programs that begin following graduation from medical school which requires an additional 4-5 years of education and clinical practice. Experienced OBGYN professionals can seek certifications in sub-specialty areas, including maternal and fetal medicine.

Subspecialties

Examples of subspecialty training available to physicians in the US are:

• Maternal-fetal medicine – an obstetrical subspecialty, sometimes referred to as perinatology, that focuses on the medical and surgical management of high-risk pregnancies and surgery on the fetus with the goal of reducing morbidity and mortality.
• Reproductive endocrinology and infertility – a subspecialty that focuses on the biological causes and interventional treatment of infertility
• Gynecological oncology – a gynaecologic subspecialty focusing on the medical and surgical treatment of women with cancers of the reproductive organs
• Female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery – a gynaecologic subspecialty focusing on the diagnosis and surgical treatment of women with urinary incontinence and prolapse of the pelvic organs. Sometimes referred to by laypersons as "female urology"
• Advanced laparoscopic surgery
• Family planning – a gynaecologic subspecialty offering training in contraception and pregnancy termination (abortion)
• Pediatric and adolescent gynecology
• Menopausal and geriatric gynecology

Of these, only the first four are truly recognized sub-specialties by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ABOG). The other subspecialties are recognized as informal concentrations of practice. To be recognized as a board-certified subspecialist by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology or the American Osteopathic Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology, a practitioner must have completed an ACGME or AOA-accredited residency and obtained a Certificate of Added Qualifications (CAQ) which requires an additional standardized examination.^[1][2]

Additionally, physicians of other specialties may become trained in Advanced Life Support in Obstetrics (ALSO), a short certification that equips them to better manage emergent OB/GYN situations.

Salary

The salary of an obstetrician varies by country. In the United States, the salary ranges from $200,000 to $339,738.

See also

• Theriogenology
• Andrology
• Urology
• Neonatal infection
• Obstetric Hospitalist

References

Bibliography

• Llewellyn-Jones, Derek, Fundamentals of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 7th ed., Mosby, 1999.

Further reading

• Lane, J (July 1987). "A provincial surgeon and his obstetric practice: Thomas W. Jones of Henley-in-Arden, 1764-1846". Medical History 31 (3): 333–48. doi:10.1017/s0025727300046895. PMC 1139744. PMID 3306222. 
• Stockham, Alice B. Tokology. A Book for Every Woman. o.O., (Kessinger Publishing) o.J. Reprint of Revised Edition Chicago, Alice B. Stockham & Co. 1891 (first edition 1886). ISBN 1-4179-4001-8

External links

• International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics (FIGO)
• BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
• World Congress on Controversies in Obstetrics, Gynecology & Infertility (COGI)