Ob/Gyn Clinic

My last few weeks on ob/gyn was spent in outpatient clinic settings. In prenatal diagnosis clinic, I learned how genetic counselors advise women and their partners about birth defects like Down Syndrome and saw incredibly skilled ultrasonographers do first trimester screening. Though much of that was passive, it was pretty educational. In obstetrics clinic, I saw new ob patients, routine visits, and 6 week postpartum visits. This was actually a lot of fun since I had already done labor and delivery. One of the attendings did a great job teaching me how to examine the gravid uterus (pregnant belly) - how to predict how far along someone is by the size, how to feel the fetus' head, spine, and butt, how to find fetal heart tones with a handheld Doppler machine. Having done labor and delivery, I was able to do more patient education and preparation about childbirth and expectations. I knew the attendings and midwives, and so that experience was excellent. Lastly, I worked a few afternoons in gynecology outpatient clinic. The range of diseases involved fibroids, endometriosis, irregular periods, and other menstrual abnormalities. I got to do a number of pelvic speculum exams with Pap smears, which wasn't all that difficult once I got the hang of it.