Ob-gyn.

TazziRN, RN · Jun 12, 2008

Do you mean a nurse or a doc?

They care for women with OB or gynie-related issues: pregnancy and delivery, disorders, everything.

megananne7 · Jun 12, 2008

If you want to be an MD specializing in OB-GYN, have fun paying the malpractice insurance!

elkpark · Jun 12, 2008

An OB-GYN is an obstetrician & gynecologist. They complete an undergraduate degree, medical school, and an extensive residency, like any other type of physician. Whether or not that is "hard" would depend on your individual perspective.

OB-GYNs treat health problems related to women's reproductive systems and deliver babies.

I have never wanted to be an OB-GYN, or any type of physician.

MisterSimba, BSN · Jun 12, 2008

If you want to be an MD specializing in OB-GYN, have fun paying the malpractice insurance!

Seriously! :yeah:

Or maybe you should look into becoming an anesthesiologist!

meyun06 · Jun 12, 2008

Indiawhitaker,

Im glad you posted that question because I want to specialize in ob-gyn. I wanted to know the same questions also. So nurses who want to specialize in ob-gyn have to go to med school?

megananne7 · Jun 12, 2008

Indiawhitaker,
Im glad you posted that question because I want to specialize in ob-gyn. I wanted to know the same questions also. So nurses who want to specialize in ob-gyn have to go to med school?

No, they go to nursing schools.

OB-GYNs go to med school.

Med school = MD

Nursing school = Nurse

rph3664 · Jun 12, 2008

Is it hard to become an OB-GYN?
What do they do exactly?
Would you want to become one?

Are you the high school student who is interested in OB nursing?

To become an OB/GYN, you have to get a bachelor's degree, go to medical school, and then do a residency in an OB/GYN program (not sure how long it is now - 3 or 4 years) and then take boards (a big test that probably takes more than one day). At that point you can call yourself an OB/GYN.

Unless you did pregnancy care only, you would also perform hysterectomies and other aspects of women's health care.

elkpark · Jun 12, 2008

There are plenty of nurses who specialize in women's health, or in obstetrical nursing, but they are not referred to as "OB-GYNs."

rph3664 · Jun 12, 2008

There are plenty of nurses who specialize in women's health, or in obstetrical nursing, but they are not referred to as "OB-GYNs."

I don't know if that comment was addressed to me, but I was telling the young lady what becoming an OB/GYN entails. India, you must be a physician to be an OB/GYN.

You could also become a nurse-midwife. In order to do that, I'm pretty sure that you have to get your nursing degree (a BSN, which is a bachelor's degree in nursing) and then get a master's degree. They do low-risk obstetrics but cannot do c-sections.

elkpark · Jun 12, 2008

I don't know if that comment was addressed to me, but I was telling the young lady what becoming an OB/GYN entails. India, you must be a physician to be an OB/GYN.
You could also become a nurse-midwife. In order to do that, I'm pretty sure that you have to get your nursing degree (a BSN, which is a bachelor's degree in nursing) and then get a master's degree. They do low-risk obstetrics but cannot do c-sections.

Sorry that wasn't clear -- I was responding to meyun06's question about whether nurses had to go to medical school to specialize in OB. You and I posted at about the same time, and I didn't see your earlier comment before I posted mine. :)

Just to add, the CNMs are also caught up in the big, bad DNP controversy -- there are people "out there" trying to make a doctoral degree the minimum preparation for nurse midwifery; but that's not official yet and it remains to be seen how that will work out. However, at present, there are also direct-entry nurse midwifery programs that don't require that you already be an RN.

rnmomtobe2010 · Jun 12, 2008

If you don't want to to spend years in school, consider becoming a Nurse Practioner..They usually work side by side with the docs..good luck