Exposure to new techniques or treatment strategies:

My OBGYN rotation was a great opportunity for exposure to new techniques. I was able to see a variety of treatments in the clinic like administration of injectable/implantable contraception, insertion/removal of IUD, pap smears and cervical swabs. I was also able to perform bimanual examinations, general physical exams on postpartum patients, and used transvaginal ultrasound to examine reproductive structures. Additionally, being able to witness and assist in labor and delivery was a unique experience that I had not seen prior to this rotation. 

Types of patients you found challenging in this rotation and what you learned about dealing with them:

I worked with a wide variety of patients on this rotation, from different backgrounds and different ages. Some GYN consults were young teenagers, while others were 65-70 year old women. For OB, I encountered female patients at prenatal appointments, in triage prior to admission, at labor and delivery, and ultimately postpartum in the mother and baby unit. Many patients were anxious about their appointments and sometimes others had somewhat difficult personalities to interact with. However, it is our duty as providers to treat each patient with the respect they deserve no matter the way they may treat us. I tried to put myself in each individual woman’s shoes, thinking of how I would want to be treated whether it be in the emergency room as a consult, on the inpatient floor, or even in the outpatient clinic. Using this strategy I was able to engage in a calm manner even with the more complex patients.

 

How your perspective may have changed as a result of this rotation (e.g. elderly patients, kids, IV drug users, etc):

During this rotation, I worked with PA Melendez in the options clinic where we provided patients with a variety of family planning options. At first it was difficult to put aside my religious beliefs specifically regarding termination of pregnancy, and I was quite nervous about interacting with these patients. I did not want my own thoughts and values to influence the way I was treating the female. In order to combat this, I tried my best to focus on being as non-judgemental as possible and treating each patient with the same level of respect as I would with any other patient. I reminded myself how I did not know the full story behind why the patient was coming in, and how it was my duty as the practitioner to provide them with the proper care that they needed.

 

What did you learn about yourself during this rotation?

Prior to starting my OBGYN rotation, I was still unsure of which specialty I was particularly interested in. Although this was my second to last rotation, I still had not found one that I felt I could see myself possibly pursuing in the future. Having said that, after witnessing the miracle of childbirth right before my eyes on the labor and delivery floor I knew that this was something I could see myself doing in the future. I was amazed to see the progression of a fetus from an initial prenatal visit at 6-8 weeks gestation to a final visit at 38-40 weeks gestation. Seeing the mothers and babies in postpartum and how they had such a strong bond with one another was also something that was truly amazing to witness. While I certainly had a strong affiliation with the obstetrics aspect of this rotation, I also appreciated the gynecological portion and seeing patients for consults and clinic appointments as well. I look forward to seeing what potential jobs are out there when I graduate, specifically in this particular field!