What's an OB/Gyn and Why Do I Need One?

I find that my patients often don't really understand the differences between me and their other doctors or what I actually do on a day-to-day basis. Maybe that's because we do many different things all at once. At the most basic level, an obstetrician-gynecologist is a physician who specializes in the female reproductive tract. We take care of women and girls of all ages, from childhood to old age. Obstetrics refers to pregnancy care; gynecology is all the other aspects of reproductive health. We see women for both preventive care, such as routine prenatal care or the annual well-woman exam, as well as for problems, such as complicated pregnancies or abnormal pap smears. Unlike many other types of doctors, we provide both nonsurgical, medical treatment of conditions as well as perform surgery when indicated. We serve both as women's primary care physicians and as consulting specialists for other types of doctors (more on that below).

Despite wearing so many different hats, the biggest thing that sets us apart from other types of doctors is that taking care of female problems is all we do. Unlike family practitioners or internal medicine physicians, who spend three years learning about many, many different body systems, OB/Gyns spend their four years of residency training learning only about the female reproductive system, which makes us uniquely able to handle those problems. Although many women choose to see their family doctor for routine exams, there are often times when a gynecologist is more suited to address their reproductive health concerns. Because women's health is all we do, we are often able to make a diagnosis or develop a treatment plan that works in a visit or two for a problem that has perplexed a family doctor for months. For that reason, it is often helpful to establish a relationship with an OB/Gyn before you actually need one. Similarly, I always recommend to my patients that they have a relationship with a primary care doctor as well. Just as I am better able to handle your female problems, your PCP is better able to handle just about any other concern. It's best to have both of us on your side.

The truth is that being a woman is complicated. We all need our own specialist.