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Join Date: Nov 2024 · 09-11-2008, 01:34 PM

Re: OB/GYN residency programs

We're not military, but DH just finished his Ob/Gyn residency & is now in fellowship. I have blissfully forgotten much of residency.

I really can't compare residency programs since we were only in one... but I will say that it was hard. Sleep deprivation changes people, and DH had it worse because he did a lot of moonlighting.

I'll list for you the things that were helpful to us, and you can decide what's most important to you:
- We were an hour away from my parents, with family and friends in the city. My mom helped quite a bit after the twins were born.
- The residency program was small (5 residents per year) and friendly. The residents hung out together a lot.
- The program was based in a relatively small, privately-owned hospital. There was an Ob/Gyn resident's lounge/library with a table, sofas, big screen tv, and kitchenette (along with textbooks, resident storage areas, and computers to monitor patients). This may seem like an insignificant detail, but spouses and kids OFTEN brought meals and movies up so they could hang out with the residents on call. Also, it encouraged discussion and support between the residents & attendings. The physical environment does make a difference. (ETA - And remember, your DH will be living at the hospital, for all practical purposes, so the hospital environment may be more important - for him - than the city.)
- DH absolutely loved Ob/Gyn. His enjoyment of his job was a huge factor in getting us through - totally worth doing a harder specialty.

That's all I can think of right now. The first year had a challenging schedule, but it was enough of a novelty that we got through ok. Second year and the first part of third year were hellish. DH made some changes during the last half of third year, plus we got away for some MFM rotations in other states. Fourth year was a breeze, comparatively. And now that we're out, I have my old husband back, and life looks pretty good - even in fellowship!

**DCJenn** · 09-11-2008, 03:49 PM

Re: OB/GYN residency programs

Welcome!

I look forward to Sally posting her husband's experience here in TX- it's a combined Army/AF program.

Anyway, Hawaii- a great place to go right before retirement. At least that's my game plan. It's expensive, it's hours long flights away from friends and family and I know of no one who didn't get island fever while stationed there.

Will your kids see their father? The answer will be "depends on the day." Our attending OB spouses will tell you that even now they have days when the kids don't see Dad- it's the nature of the beast, I suppose.

But welcome aboard! My husband is a USUHS grad (2000) and has nearly committed to another four years on top of the four left from payback. Eh, it is what it is. (The good thing about this site is that it's helpful to realize that most of the craptastic elements of medicine are in no way about the military part- that part adds OTHER stressors that our civilian counterparts don't deal with (like deployments...) but the regular crappy stuff is all the same)

jenn

**mommax3** · 09-11-2008, 04:29 PM

Re: OB/GYN residency programs

DH did a military OB/Gyn residency at Wilford Hall/BAMC (San Antonio) from 1997 - 2001. This was before the 80 hr. work week and it was brutal, honestly. DH averaged 100 hrs a week for four years and we didn't see him much. The residents rotated up to Ft. Hood (about 3 hours away) three of the four years for seven weeks at a time.....don't know if they still do that. DH had to do a trauma surgery rotation as a second year.....I have heard that the residents don't do that any more. A residency classmate of DH's is now an attending in that program and she says it is completely different (in a good way!) now due to the work hour restrictions. I really think it has made a huge difference. I can't say exactly how it will be for you and for your kids, but DH and I came out intact and with 2 more kids than we started with, so it is definitely doable.

As far as the family thing.....if you get *a lot* of support from your family, then I would think twice about moving away from that. If it is only occasional, I wouldn't give it high priority in my decision. When we moved to San Antonio from IN, I knew absolutely no one, had a two year old, and was soon pregnant again. There were many of us within the residency program in the same boat, and we just kind of made a pact to help each other out. I can't speak for the other places, but San Antonio is heavily military and people there always seemed ready to help others out.....most of them are originally from somewhere else, too, and even if they are natives, they are used to military families and are familiar with the challenges they face.

If DH had been Army, I would have *loved* to be at Tripler. For us, it wasn't an option, but we really loved our time in San Antonio. It had (probably still has) a low cost of living compared with other places and the weather during nine months of the year was *awesome*. We never lacked for visitors because everyone loved having a sunny place to visit. If your husband doesn't get Tripler for residency, maybe it will be an option later on, since he owes quite a bit of time. There is definitely a down side to being in the military, but one of the bright spots (imo) was the opportunity to travel and live different places. We didn't get to do much of that since DH only owed four years, but we never would have experienced San Antonio if DH hadn't been in the military, and we ended up loving it there. Our boys were 6 and 3 when DH finished residency (and I had our third son about 8 weeks after he finished). The two older boys definitely had a strong relationship with their Dad despite the hours he worked during that four years. Life in general during residency will require some adjustment. For us, we tried to stay focused on the essentials....sleep for DH and then relationships....him/me and him/boys. Expecting him to do *anything* around the house on a regular basis was off the table, although he helped out when he could. Hobbies for him.....NO WAY. (His choice of OB/Gyn meant it effectively became his hobby.

) Counting on him for childcare on a regular basis.....no. Although it was a tough program, DH has always felt he received excellent training, and he has made a very successful transition to civilian life, in part because of the training and workload he became accustomed to during residency. His current partner was Army and also did residency in San Antonio after doing a FP residency prior to that.

We also know someone on staff at Tripler (Gyn/Onc) who was in residency with DH, although I think he is deploying pretty soon. If you would like more info, feel free to PM me.

Sally

**peggyfromwastate** · 09-22-2008, 02:52 PM

Re: OB/GYN residency programs

I don't know specs about OB in the DC area-- but it's at Navy since Reed doesn't really have an OB dept... If he stays here (the NCC) he can expect to spend time shuttling between different hospitals/clinics. I believe the NNMC OBs go up to Ft Detrick, but don't hold me to that... Anyway, the point is around here, traveling to diff. sites can be a total PITA... have your dh ask about how much he'd have to work at the other sites...

We ended up staying here in the NCC area (DH is at WRAMC for ENT) b/c that's pretty much where *they* chose for him to go. Yes, in theory you have *lots* of say in the match, but in actuality, maybe not so much. It depends on how competetive the year is. DH did rotate at Tripler, and liked it a lot, but look out for an insane cost of living. Insane. And it may be tough to get on-base housing as a Captain. We're like Jenn- looking to do a 2 year tour in Tripler at the end of the career, when we can afford a 2 br condo or something, then the kids (who will all be long gone) can come visit us.... rather than having to deal with raising kids in Hawaii, and the insanely expensive plane tickets, etc., etc.

Another thing is that the OBs deploy a lot. So plan on that, and make sure your DH isn't taken in by the "maybe 1 time in your payback" argument. Just plan on frequent 6-month deployements.

All in all, residency will be really brutal, but the scary thing about OB to me is where you may end up for payback.

No one wants to be one of 2 OBs in a medical clinic in podunk.

**houseelf** · 09-22-2008, 08:39 PM

Re: OB/GYN residency programs

I'm not one of those people who knew what I was getting myself into. I never wanted to marry a doctor. I was opposed to medical school. I'm working hard at accepting it, but it has been a very rocky road and I don't really see a light at the end of the tunnel. I feel like I have such a horrible attitude so much of the time. I at least want to try to set our family up for the least-of-all-evils residency experience if I can help it. DH is pretty set on OB/GYN.

In support group droning tone Hi Leslie! Welcome to the group. (I have my 8 year IMSN sobriety coin.

)

Hey, we had neither a military commitment nor an obgyn commitment, but I have to comment on the family/distance thing coupled with a less family friendly specialty. We endured seven years of residency far away from family and friends. During this time we made friends and developed a network. Still, every little stressor that came up was a BFD because the surgeon could never be counted on to help out. Think: Car repairs, Flat tires on the side of the road, illnesses and sick days, finding transportation to the airport, not having anyone around for major celebrations, and so on and so forth.

In contrast, we currently are in a different, but perhaps even more rigorous training phase, but live an hour-ish away from family and in the same city as a ton of childhood and college friends. It makes all the difference in the world.

It sounds like you will have to live far away at some point, so if you have a choice now, perhaps family/friends/community should take a higher priority.

Kelly

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