Obstetrician Career Guide and Counseling

Question: To be an obstetrician do you have to be very good in math?Why?How do obstetricians use math? Should I consider being an obstetrician if I am very poor in math right at the moment?I am good in science.I am a sophmore in high school and already going head over heels because of this.Ack!!Its driving me INSANE.

Answer: Regardless of the medical specialty, becoming a physician requires math - so I'd suggest you bone up - get a tutor to shore up your basic skills so that you can then excel in algebra; trig; calculus and the like. Math is used in almost every walk of life...but in medicine you need it to prescribe; to treat in many cases and to understand a myriad of things related to various diseases.

Question: What does the obstetrician/midwife say when a hermaphrodite is born? Well, human hermaphrodites (called pseudohermaphrodites) do exist. It's rare, but it is out there. Fortunately I have not yet come across any :-) So what then, does the obstetrician/midwife say when a hermaphrodite is born? You can't say "it's a boy" and you can't say "it's a girl"...I wonder if they cover this in school?

Answer: They might not know that its both and would say the first gender that the baby appears to be which would most likely be a boy.

Question: What kind of classes do you need to be good at to be an obstetrician/gynecologist? I'm a junior in high school and im thinking about going to college to either be an obstetrician or a gynecologist. I was just wondering what classes you need to take/get good grades in to become those kindof doctors?

Answer: You need to be a Doctor first. The best subjects are maths, english and science (especially chemistry).

Question: How to be an obstetrician with a degree in psychology? I'm graduating from college in December and will have a degree in psychology, but my dream job is to be an obstetrician. So my question is how can I go from one subject to the other? A friend suggested I go to nursing school, specialize in the subject and go from there. Is this a realistic option? What other options do I have?

Answer: You don't need to get a "degree" in pre-med to apply to medical school. You will have to go back and take a couple of years of hard science courses, and calculus to fulfill the requirements to apply to med school. Should you be successful in matriculating to med school, and finish in the standard four years, you can expect another four years of post-graduate training (residency). Then you can be an obstetrician. If you wish to go to nursing school and specialize in obstetric nursing, you can probably do that in half the time, but you will not be known as an obstetrician.

Question: What is everything needed to be done to be an obstetrician? I am a freshman in high school, and being an obstetrician is my dream job. Please tell me the schooling I will need, and how long of it I'll need. Thank you.

Answer: its take about 12 to become one/

Question: What kind of degree do you have to get in college in order to become an obstetrician/gynecologist? Do you have to get an associates, bachelors, or masters degree in order to become a obstetrician/gynecologist? And what should you get the degrees in?

Answer: That will require a medical degree.

Question: How much does it cost to become an obstetrician? Also how much does a residency as an obstetrician pay?

Answer: It costs several tens of thousands of dollars... and the pay during residency is dependent on where you're working, but might be as much as $100k/year or as little as $60k

Question: Am I cut out for going to university to be an obstetrician? I'd like to be an obstetrician. I have an overall grade of 85%, but my science marks are not great at a 74%. Do you think I will succeed going to university for this type of work? Also another question, will I be required to take physics and chemistry courses in my junior and senior years of high school? Right now I am only planning on taking biology. about the physics and chem thing, i!know I don't need to take them to graduate but is it required to be an obstetrician?

Answer: I think you should do fine. You are not required to take physics and chemistry in your junior or senior years. Thanks Bill

Question: How long does it take to become an obstetrician??? I would like to become an obstetrician how long does it take to become one?? Ive heard around 12 yrs during you residency and internship to you get paid and about how much?? Do you think I will be able to have a life while in school since I will be in school for a long time? All answers appreciated.

Answer: Becoming a medical doctor is a long and difficult process, as it takes 4yrs of undergrad, and another 8yrs of graduate school, internships, and residency. You get paid very little, and work lots of long hours. Forget about a social life, if you are not a real quick learner, because there is lots to know/study. But if you have a dream, and the desire becoming a medical doctor can be a very rewarding experience. Especially, an obstetrician where you are bringing new life into the world and caring for the little ones. There is a lot of joy to be had. On the other had you could become an advance practice nurse and be done in about 7yrs for both undergrad & grad school. Basically, an APN acting as a nurse midwife does about the same thing and with lots less time in school. Either way you should follow your dream.

Question: How do you become an OBSTETRICIAN? I know that after you graduated medical school you are required to do a residency, but what if you want to be an obstetrician/gyno.....do you train for that during resindency, and how long does that take?

Answer: My wife is an obstetrician, so I hope I can fill in a few of the details. During medical school, students select which specialty area they plan to go into--surgery, emergency medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics & gynecology, etc. During their final two years of medical school, students take rotations that will help them prepare for residency. When students apply to residency programs, they're applying within that specialty area, so in my wife's case, she applied to a number of OB/GYN residency programs. When you graduate from medical school, you then move on to residency. In the United States, the OB/GYN residency is four years for MDs. During the residency, you do a number of rotations in various services that give you experience in different aspects of the job--reproductive endocrinology, gynecological oncology, labor & delivery, etc. During these rotations you will always (theoretically, at least) be under the supervision of a more experienced doctor. When you complete the four-year residency, you can either go on for a post-graduate fellowship (more advanced training in a particular subspecialty) or go into private practice.

Question: Do you have to be a gynecologist to be an obstetrician? I'm thinking of getting into obstetrics, but I was wondering if when you become and obstetrician, are you required to become a gynecologist also? Can you just be an obstetrician?

Answer: yes

Question: Whats the difference between an Obstetrician and MD? Okay, Im looking into medical school. MD's can do pretty much all the stuff Obstetricians do, right? Is it harder to become an MD? Which gets more money? What are the things I would do if I were a MD or Obstetrician? Which takes longer to learn? Im guessing MD cause it covers more.. but im not sure.. And whats the difference between them? Thanks much..

Answer: You have a lot of questions there. I'll try to clear this up for you. An MD, or medical doctor, is usually a general practitioner who sees patients with a variety of medical disorders. An obstetrician is a specialty, and the focus is on delivering babies and caring for the mother during her pregnancy. Generally, obstetrics is combined with gynecology, which is the prevention and treatment of female disorders. Since OB/GYN's have at least four more years of study beyond basic medical training and internship, they would probably earn more than a GP. I hope this clears up some of your questions.

Question: How many years of school to become and Obstetrician? I was wondering how many years exactly does it take to become an obstetrician? i am a sophomore in high school and i am worried about what i want to be when i get older. I didn't do very well on the practice ACT the PLAN test i only got a 19. But I maintain a 4.1 GPA. Do i have what it takes to become a obstetrician? How many years of school? Only answer if you know for sure like if you are an obstetrician.

Answer: it takes 4 yrs of college and 4 yrs of medical school and 4 yrs in a residency training program. During the residency is when you actually learn how to be an obstetrician, it is a job and they will pay you, but also involves a lot of study and learning.

Question: Are the years of training worth becoming an obstetrician? I really want to become an obstetrician because I like the thought of bringing babies into the world, however I'm not that big on chemistry and what not. I'm wondering what the pay is like during residency and then afterwards, how difficult medical school is, and if I'm going to be without any relationships until I'm 30! Also, if you are an obstetrician, was it worth it to become one? Please tell me whatever you know :) and thanks. And I don't really know anything about nurse practioners. Can you be a nurse and deliver the babies?

Answer: Shadow an obstetrician is the best way to know if its something you might like. look into nurse practitioner programs as well. ss http://www.womenshealthchannel.com/obgyn.shtml

Question: My obstetrician found out that an irregular heart rhythm during a regular visit today.? My obstetrician detected an irregular heart beat during a regular visit today. I am 18 weeks pregnant and everything else has been fine. What is an irregular heartbeat and what does it mean for my unborn baby? Will this problem go away before my baby is born? Will the baby survive?Do I need to take medication?

Answer: Why oh why did you not ask these questions of your doctor???? They will give you the best answers, since they know you & your history, as opposed to all the answerers on this forum! Call the docs office & ask them!! No one on this site can give you a good answer! This is the best one!

Question: Which job is better obstetrician or cardiologist? In which job I earn more money, being an obstetrician or being a cardiologist? Obviously, I would be an specialist, (dont know the exact word) and work in The Unite States. Thank you!

Answer: Cardiologists make the most money of all the internists.