Thanks Dr.Heather!You sure know your stuff!Iknow I want to choose a specialty that makes me happy in the medical world,but I can't forget the rest of my life! I think I would enjoy the student health center or planned parenthood since I really would like to help educate preventive medicine for women's health.

You're most welcome!

I am an ART and working in infertility is awesome! All of the NP and Docs I worked with worked great hours, hardly any over-always around 40 hours a week. And I worked in a very high load, large hospital. The people are great, the rewards are awesome and there is a lot of satisfaction in it. PM me if you have questions about it!

could anyone give me an idea of why the hours for ob/gyn are so long?
In a practice of like 5 physicians, for example, don't they share call? And aren't the hours set in advance?
I am a little confused as to why ob/gyn particularly takes up a lot of time...
anyone have any suggestions?

Well for one when patients start seeing X or Y doctor then by the time they deliver they still want "their" doc to deliver...so the hours are highly unpredictable babies like we know come at any time of day or night. Once in labor you can't just take up and leave (the doc) so you may be there for a while...

in most practices though during your pregnancy you'll see the other doctors in the practice so that you become familiar with them because whoever is on call when you are ready to go- that is the dr. that will deliver. So you can have a regular call schedule that is deictated by the numebr of physicians in your practice.

My question to the moms in obgyn resdiency- is it manageable? does the night float system help if your program has that? is it possible to just practice gyn? how difficult is it to get into REI or MFM?

In my community there is one large OB group--I think they have 7 or 8 doctors-- which does OB in shifts. They have 24 hour hospital presence and I believe actually get some extra money for acting as backup to the service attendings (like if the service attending is in a c/s and there is anther emergency). Each doctor works one 24 hour shift a week and that doctor is also on call for the practice. I'm sure that it is great for the docs. Not all the patients are thrilled with it and some leave when they find out, but they are still the largest practice in the area and doing quite well.

my ob's practice was like that. I saw her for every appointment, but when I went into labor it was her night off.One of her partners delivered my son and she came in to see and discharge us 2 days later. I didn't mind that much, I just figured that was what was normal.