3 answers
kristen
Student
Rison, Arkansas
2
Questions
Updated
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is it worth it to become a obgyn ?
whats the diffence between a obgyn, midwife and a labor and deliver nurse
do they all pay the same
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3 answers
Godfrey Magawe
Clinical officer nephrology
114
Answers
Nairobi, Nairobi County, Kenya
Updated
Godfrey’s Answer
Medical profession is one of the lucrative professional globally and its core ,further more the health of a population is determined by the general health of maternal and child health which makes obsgyn a better and core lucrative specialization among medical field.they determine both the current health and future health of a population.
Obsgyn also tackles a great proportion of the population in addressing health need of a Country making it very worthy specialization to venture into as a Doctor.
Again with the current rose in non communicable disease more so with Cancer,and obsgyn related malignancy being on the rise it further put obsgyn at a core field with sub specialization in gyne oncology.... definitely it's a worthy specialization in medicine
Obsgyn also tackles a great proportion of the population in addressing health need of a Country making it very worthy specialization to venture into as a Doctor.
Again with the current rose in non communicable disease more so with Cancer,and obsgyn related malignancy being on the rise it further put obsgyn at a core field with sub specialization in gyne oncology.... definitely it's a worthy specialization in medicine
Godfrey, thank you!
kristen
Audrey Eakman
MS-2, Biochemistry BS
37
Answers
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Updated
Audrey’s Answer
Hi Kristen,
That's a great question! It has a long answer.
OB/GYNs are doctors. That means that becoming an OB/GYN requires attending an accredited medical school and earning a medical degree, either MD (doctor of medicine) or DO (doctor of osteopathic medicine). Medical school is a graduate-level education, meaning to get into it you need to have a high school diploma or equivalent degree and complete at minimum a 4-year college and acquire a bachelor's degree. You also need basic prerequisite courses in science and math and a passing (but most likely competitive) score on the MCAT. After that, you have to attend a 4-year program to earn your medical degree, and during medical school, take and pass two United States Medical Licensing Exams offered by the National Board of Medical Examiners. After that, you earn your medical degree. To become an OB/GYN, which is further specialized medical training, you then have to be accepted into a residency in that specialty. When you're a resident, you participate in a post-graduate training program that can be anywhere from three to five years, sometimes longer, if you want to do a specific type of OB/GYN and need fellowship training. The main highlight of being an OB/GYN is your focus on all aspects of the reproductive health of people assigned females at birth, not just pregnancy and childbirth. There are a lot of specific areas of OB/GYN, including gynecological cancer, reconstructive surgery, reproductive endocrinology and infertility, maternal-fetal medicine, critical care, complex family planning, hospice and palliative gynecology, menopausal and geriatric gynecology, and pediatric gynecology. While there are general OB/GYNs who do regular gynecological health exams, pregnancy, and labor and delivery, the benefit of having a medical degree is the ability to have expertise in specific areas. During your residency program, you are paid less despite being a doctor, with the median salary being about 70k. However, after completing residency, taking your final US medical licensing exam, and becoming fully certified to practice independently, that salary goes way up, the median being about 300-350k annually.
There are three types of Midwives: a certified nurse-midwife (CNM), a certified midwife (CM), and a certified professional midwife (CPM). According to the American College of Nurse-Midwives, midwives provide "independent provision of care during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period; sexual and reproductive health; gynecologic health; and family planning services, including preconception care. Midwives also provide primary care for individuals from adolescence throughout the lifespan as well as care for the healthy newborn during the first 28 days of life." CPM programs are accredited programs, and to be accepted to one, you need at least a high school diploma and a number of pre-requisite college courses in the basic sciences, but you don't need a bachelor's degree. CM programs are similar, except they are a graduate-level education, meaning you must have a bachelor's degree to be accepted. CNM programs are a step further and require having a bachelor's degree and being a registered nurse. While all three types practice in the United States, most midwives are CNMs because that is the only type approved to practice in all US states (CMs are approved in 7 states + DC and CPMs in 35 states + DC). After completing what I believe is generally a 2-year program, midwives have to take a certification test offered either by the American Midwifery Certification Board for CMs and CNMs or the North American Registry of Midwives for CPMs. The salary of midwives also varies depending on their certifications. A CNM can earn, at the median, 120k annually. CMs and CPMs make closer to 90k annually. However, within those groups, there is a wide range of variation depending on where you practice and who your patients are.
Labor and delivery nurses are nurses. The minimum requirement is a registered nurse. Registered nurses typically complete a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) after receiving a high school diploma or equivalent. A BSN is a four-year nursing degree. Some RNs have an Associate's Degree in Nursing (ADN), a two-year degree. After earning their degree, to become an RN, they have to take the NCLEX-RN exam from the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. There are higher levels of nursing education, such as a Master's or Doctorate in Nursing (6- and 8-year programs, respectively), and higher levels of nursing certifications, such as nurse practitioners. Regardless of what you do, after earning your nursing degree and certification, you can start working in any specialty, including obstetrics, and depending on your experience, can be hired for the labor and delivery department. Sometimes, earning specialty certification can also help you succeed in a particular type of nursing, like obstetrics or labor and delivery. The median salary of an RN labor and delivery nurse is 80k, but for an OB NP, it's more like 130k. They also specifically work only with labor and delivery and postpartum care.
So to summarize:
OB/GYN - Doctor - 11 to 15 years of training after high school - primary and specialty care for gynecology and obstetrics - the highest level of independence - very high to medium-paying salary (depends on the point in training).
Midwife - CNM (sometimes CM/CPM) - 2 to 6 years of training after high school - primary care for gynecology and obstetrics - high to moderate level of independence - high to medium-paying salary.
Labor and Delivery nurse - RN (ADN/BSN) or NP (MSN/DNP) - 2 to 8 years of training - primary care of obstetrics - moderate to low level of independence - high to medium-paying salary.
Now, within each career path, there are a lot of opportunities for variation and customization, so if there's anything about obstetric and gynecological healthcare that specifically appeals to you, you have a few ways to find the best path to the career and the future that would be the most fulfilling to you.
I hope this helps!
That's a great question! It has a long answer.
OB/GYNs are doctors. That means that becoming an OB/GYN requires attending an accredited medical school and earning a medical degree, either MD (doctor of medicine) or DO (doctor of osteopathic medicine). Medical school is a graduate-level education, meaning to get into it you need to have a high school diploma or equivalent degree and complete at minimum a 4-year college and acquire a bachelor's degree. You also need basic prerequisite courses in science and math and a passing (but most likely competitive) score on the MCAT. After that, you have to attend a 4-year program to earn your medical degree, and during medical school, take and pass two United States Medical Licensing Exams offered by the National Board of Medical Examiners. After that, you earn your medical degree. To become an OB/GYN, which is further specialized medical training, you then have to be accepted into a residency in that specialty. When you're a resident, you participate in a post-graduate training program that can be anywhere from three to five years, sometimes longer, if you want to do a specific type of OB/GYN and need fellowship training. The main highlight of being an OB/GYN is your focus on all aspects of the reproductive health of people assigned females at birth, not just pregnancy and childbirth. There are a lot of specific areas of OB/GYN, including gynecological cancer, reconstructive surgery, reproductive endocrinology and infertility, maternal-fetal medicine, critical care, complex family planning, hospice and palliative gynecology, menopausal and geriatric gynecology, and pediatric gynecology. While there are general OB/GYNs who do regular gynecological health exams, pregnancy, and labor and delivery, the benefit of having a medical degree is the ability to have expertise in specific areas. During your residency program, you are paid less despite being a doctor, with the median salary being about 70k. However, after completing residency, taking your final US medical licensing exam, and becoming fully certified to practice independently, that salary goes way up, the median being about 300-350k annually.
There are three types of Midwives: a certified nurse-midwife (CNM), a certified midwife (CM), and a certified professional midwife (CPM). According to the American College of Nurse-Midwives, midwives provide "independent provision of care during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period; sexual and reproductive health; gynecologic health; and family planning services, including preconception care. Midwives also provide primary care for individuals from adolescence throughout the lifespan as well as care for the healthy newborn during the first 28 days of life." CPM programs are accredited programs, and to be accepted to one, you need at least a high school diploma and a number of pre-requisite college courses in the basic sciences, but you don't need a bachelor's degree. CM programs are similar, except they are a graduate-level education, meaning you must have a bachelor's degree to be accepted. CNM programs are a step further and require having a bachelor's degree and being a registered nurse. While all three types practice in the United States, most midwives are CNMs because that is the only type approved to practice in all US states (CMs are approved in 7 states + DC and CPMs in 35 states + DC). After completing what I believe is generally a 2-year program, midwives have to take a certification test offered either by the American Midwifery Certification Board for CMs and CNMs or the North American Registry of Midwives for CPMs. The salary of midwives also varies depending on their certifications. A CNM can earn, at the median, 120k annually. CMs and CPMs make closer to 90k annually. However, within those groups, there is a wide range of variation depending on where you practice and who your patients are.
Labor and delivery nurses are nurses. The minimum requirement is a registered nurse. Registered nurses typically complete a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) after receiving a high school diploma or equivalent. A BSN is a four-year nursing degree. Some RNs have an Associate's Degree in Nursing (ADN), a two-year degree. After earning their degree, to become an RN, they have to take the NCLEX-RN exam from the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. There are higher levels of nursing education, such as a Master's or Doctorate in Nursing (6- and 8-year programs, respectively), and higher levels of nursing certifications, such as nurse practitioners. Regardless of what you do, after earning your nursing degree and certification, you can start working in any specialty, including obstetrics, and depending on your experience, can be hired for the labor and delivery department. Sometimes, earning specialty certification can also help you succeed in a particular type of nursing, like obstetrics or labor and delivery. The median salary of an RN labor and delivery nurse is 80k, but for an OB NP, it's more like 130k. They also specifically work only with labor and delivery and postpartum care.
So to summarize:
OB/GYN - Doctor - 11 to 15 years of training after high school - primary and specialty care for gynecology and obstetrics - the highest level of independence - very high to medium-paying salary (depends on the point in training).
Midwife - CNM (sometimes CM/CPM) - 2 to 6 years of training after high school - primary care for gynecology and obstetrics - high to moderate level of independence - high to medium-paying salary.
Labor and Delivery nurse - RN (ADN/BSN) or NP (MSN/DNP) - 2 to 8 years of training - primary care of obstetrics - moderate to low level of independence - high to medium-paying salary.
Now, within each career path, there are a lot of opportunities for variation and customization, so if there's anything about obstetric and gynecological healthcare that specifically appeals to you, you have a few ways to find the best path to the career and the future that would be the most fulfilling to you.
I hope this helps!
Thanks so much for taking the time to responding to my question. I've been thinking a lot about what I want to be when I get out of high and those career paths seems so cool to me, I'm leaning toward becoming a midwife but I'm still thinking about it,
kristen
Madison Buchman
doctor
112
Answers
West Hartford
Updated
Madison’s Answer
Three great but very different careers! OBGYNs at doctors who completed medical school, obgyn four years of residency and sometimes additional sub specialty fellowships. OBGYNs do a lot more than deliver babies but they also perform GYN surgery, see patients in the clinic, do preventative healthcare, see patients for GYN issues in the ER. A midwife or RN do not do surgery either OB surgery or GYN surgery. There are some types of NP’s who may assist on a surgery or even some rare midwives but they usually do not participate in GYN surgery or see non pregnant patients in the office. you want to consider what role in the team you want to play, years of education/time required, and of course financial ect aspects of careers. If you’re interested in things like home birthing, obgyns do not participate in that due to medical license issues.