Island Med Student

I just got home from my last day of gynecology clinic. I start labor and delivery on Sunday night. So far, I am loving ob/gyn. I don’t necessarily think I would want to go into ob/gyn, but I certainly find it fun. I’ve found it to be very advantageous that I am female. Many women request a female to examine them, and I think most of them feel more comfortable with a woman examining them and asking them about their sexual history and vaginal discharge. It also helps, because there are many things that you just “know” from being a woman yourself, and don’t have to just memorize for med school. The guys seem to have a harder time understanding and remembering what is “normal.” But for us girls, some of it is just obvious!

I feel really confident in doing pelvic exams, breast exams, pap smears, cultures, and rectal exams (although I was already fairly confident with those already). I know what type of questions to ask to get a good history, and I’ve become more familiar with the ob/gyn “lingo.”

I would love to provide you with a nice list of “stuff learned,” but I really just don’t have the time and energy to do so. Instead, I will just give you a little sprinkling:

How to read tracings, how to decide what size speculum to use (again, easier I think because I’m female!). I diagnosed PCOS and PID. I know when to do a colposcopy and when to follow up with more pap smears. I can tell the position of the uterus (AV, RV, AF, RF). What a stenotic os looks/feels like. Counseling on safe sex. What bacterial vaginosis and trichomonas looks/smells like. And much, much more.

I think bedside manner is particularly important for ob/gyn docs. And since I think my bedside manner is one of my best assets, I think I’m pretty darn good at gyn exams. I know how to help a woman relax, and make them feel more comfortable. I’m sure it doesn’t hurt that I’ve been in their shoes (stirrups!) many times before.

I’ve received many compliments from my patients, residents, other students, and attendings. I really feel like I’m pretty darn good at this whole womanly parts thing. It’s really comforting to be good at something!

I’m tired and desperately need to veg out, so that’s all for now. More to come soon!

Note: Photo has nothing to do with vaginas. It’s just the dinner that I was cooking a few weeks ago (back when I actually had TIME to cook).