Obstetrics and gynecology (OB GYN) is a specialized field of medicine that pertains to women's health and pregnancy. Gynecologists are trained to care for a woman's reproductive system, and obstetrics is more specifically for women who are pregnant. OB GYN doctors attend a medical school, then explore training in gynecology or obstetrics specialties.

To be a gynecologist or obstetrician, you should start by electing a premed program in college that gives you the math and science background you need to attend med school. To work in this field, you must undergo obstetrics and gynecology education and training, including:

1. Medical schools that train you to work as a doctor.

2. Residency programs that offer a specialty in obstetrics and gynecology.

3. Continuing education opportunities offered by professional organizations.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Enroll in med school to begin obstetricians and gynecologists training

To work as an obstetrician or gynecologist, you must attend medical school. There are many excellent medical schools throughout the United States that train students to be doctors. Any med student will intern at hospitals and clinics to get hands-on patient experience.

I recommend: OBGYN has an article on what you need to do to become an OB GYN, from high school to medical school and continuing education opportunities. Harvard Medical School is one of the top-rated medical schools in the country and offers many choices for students. You can get traditional medical training, or train to become a research physician.

Choose an OB GYN residency program to continue your education

Once a you graduate from medical school and are a licensed doctor, it's time to move on to the next step. Most doctors participate in a five or seven year residency program that helps them hone their skill in a specialty. There is a specialty for all systems of the body, plus oncology and surgery, to name a few. This is where an OB GYN doctors will begin specialized training in their field.

I recommend: The University of Southern California has an OB GYN residency program that provides clinical training through its network of hospitals and medical centers. Duke University offers a comprehensive four-year residency program that teaches students how to perform gynecological exams and gynecological and obstetric surgery, and develop patient interaction skills.

Get continuing education and training in obstetrics and gynecology

Continuing education is essential for many professionals, but is especially important for doctors in specialized fields. Continuing education helps you earn continuing education credits, which count toward licensing recertification and help fulfill residency program requirements.

I recommend: Symposia Medicus is a nonprofit organization that provides many professional conferences for OB GYNs and doctors in other specialties throughout the year. Omnia Education is a continuing education resource specifically for those who work in women's health.

Obstetrics and gynecology resources are widely available to you. You can find ob gyn groups and societies, see visual representations of female anatomy or find helpful forums and resources for your obstetrics and gynecology questions.

Obstetrics and gynecologist information is widely available through professional websites. Society, university and corporate backed websites are usually the most credible and reliable.

When looking for obstetrics and gynecology information ask yourself:

1. Are you looking to research a particular ob gyn related disease or condition?

2. Are you looking for an obstetrics and gynecology group, society, network or forum?

3. Are you looking to find an ob gyn job, and ob gyn residency or other placement?

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find gynecology exam information

Look at resources helpful in gynecology exam and diagnosis.

I recommend: Use the online Merck Manual for your obstetrician and gynecologist information. Network, shop for products and services as well as find information on new techniques and published material from OBGYN.net. Check out the Mammary Genome Anatomy Project from the Laboratory of Genetics and Physiology at the National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases within the National Institutes of Health.

Find even more obstetrics and gynecology resources

Find even more obstetrics and gynecology sites to help you in your patient care studies. Particularly helpful are the sites that offer photographic representation of the female anatomy and surgical procedures.

I recommend: Use laparoscopy.com for review of laparoscopy salpingectomy for extopic pregnancy. Use the National Center for Health Statistics site for a resource on statistics. Check out the Los Alamos National Laboratory Bioscience Division as an STD resource. Look at the collection of transverse images captured and compiled to make up a visible human female anatomical database from Anatomical Visualization, Inc.

Consider joining an obstetrics and gynecology group

Obstetrics and gynecology groups are a wonderful resource to professionals old and new alike. They not only offer you gynecology and obstetrician information, but they are also a tool for networking and finding continuing medical education information.

I recommend: Find out about the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals. Consider joining the Society for the Study of Reproduction (SSR). You can also consider the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists.

Find obstetrics and gynecology job openings

If you are seeking a job in the obstetrics and gynecology field, look to sites that are industry specific and/or can help you with your placement.

I recommend: Find OB/GYN jobs through Locum Tenens Physician Jobs, which offers OB/GYN job listings by state. Physicians seeking OB/GYN jobs can find free and confidential placement through Enterprise Medical.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Stay up to date on your obstetrics and gynecology continuing medical education, but also consider formal training in people and/or business skills to take your practice to the next level of service.

As with most medical professionals, OB/GYNs have their own terminology. However, all of the jargon used in this specialty can be easily translated into layman terms. Having a complete understanding of terms that are common in an OB/GYN office will prepare you for understanding your care and helping others to understand the care they receive. This is especially true if you are dealing with juveniles or rape victims, as is common with some social workers.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Fetal presentation

Fetal presentation refers to the part of a baby's body that's going to come down the birth canal first. A vertex presentation is a head-down delivery. There are three types of buttocks-first, or breech, presentations: frank, complete and footling. Transverse presentation, shoulder presentation and compound presentation are the other forms of abnormal presentations.

I recommend: Brookside Associates offers an in-depth look into the various fetal presentations an OB/GYN will have to cope with during deliveries.

Contraceptives

Contraceptives, or birth control, are used to prevent pregnancy. Intrauterine devices, birth control pills, cervical caps and sterilization are different types of contraceptives.

I recommend: HealthyWomen.org provides information about contraceptives. This information includes how the contraceptives work, descriptions of each type of contraceptive and its side effects.

Colposcopy

A colposcopy is a procedure in which an OB/GYN examines the cervix. This procedure is usually done after a pap smear comes back as abnormal. However, this procedure may also be done to check a cervix prior to, during and after delivery of a baby.

I recommend: You can find information about a colposcopy on the Mayo Clinic website. It includes detailed information on what happens during the procedure.

Dysmenorrhea

Dysmenorrhea is characterized by menstrual cramps that are severe enough to keep a female from doing her normal daily activities. There are two types of dysmenorrhea: primary and secondary. Primary dysmenorrhea starts when a female first starts menstruating. Secondary dysmenorrhea occurs as the result of another problem, such as pelvic inflammatory disease or an injury to the uterine area.

I recommend: University of Virginia Health System offers valuable information about dysmenorrhea, including symptoms, risk factors and treatments.

Vaginitis

Vaginitis is a term that is used to describe different vaginal infections. Trichomonas vaginitis is caused by a protozoa. This is considered a sexually transmitted disease. Yeast infections are considered a type of vaginitis, and bacterial vaginitis is the most common type.

I recommend: The Illinois Department of Public Health provides in-depth information about vaginitis.

Rectocele

A rectocele is a condition in which part of the rectum bulges through the fascia, which is the fibrous tissue that separates the vagina from the rectum.

I recommend: HealthCentral.com offers information on what causes a woman to develop a rectocele. Methods of diagnosis and symptoms are included on this website.