My OB/GYN rotation at NYC HHC Woodhull was a really amazing and interesting experience. At first OB/GYN was not an area of particular interest to me. While I always recognized the importance of women’s health, my rotation at Woodhull gave me a sense of appreciation that I never had before. I thoroughly enjoyed my time and I am considering a career in OB?GYN in the future.

During my first few weeks at Woodhull I completed two weeks of overnight shifts at Labor and Delivery. On the first 16 hour shift I was openly welcomed by the midwives and my attending physician. Over the course of the night I was told that one of the patients was expected to have a c-section. I asked my attending if I could watch, and she said that I could do more than watch. She had me scrub in and I got to help out during the procedure along with PA Melendez who was the first assist. I was astounded by the miracle of life. As the incisions were made, I was terrified thinking that I would faint at the sight of blood. Since this was my first surgical procedure. However I stood at attention the entire time, 50 minutes felt like 5 minutes. I was asked questions about the patient, what necessitated the c-section, the anatomy that we were visualizing, and the potential complications of the procedure. The attending even let me turn in a few sutures near the end. I was very happy with my experience. In the end the patient gave birth to a healthy baby girl.

During another one of my overnights I was on call for gynecological emergencies. One night we received a page regarding a patient who was following up for her abdominal pain. She was given MTX about 2 days ago and her bHCG levels were going down however her abdominal pain was worsening. At first the PA on call was very hesitant to do anything more, considering the fact that the patient should be experiencing  abdominal pain as she is terminating the pregnancy. However, given the discomfort that the patient was in, the PA decided to talk to her and they went to see the patient together. When a speculum exam was done they visualized tissue extruding from the cervical OS. In addition US results indicated retained products of conception. The patient needed a D&C. I was able to accompany the attending to do the procedure. I scrubbed in and assisted the attending to the best of my abilities. The attending also let me push in the catheter and remove some of the contents. Overall it was a very good learning experience.

On clinic days I was with a variety of PAs and doctors. They were all welcoming to students. During this time I got very comfortable with conducting a GYN examination. I was able to learn techniques from the PAs that helped the patient be as comfortable as possible. I also was given the opportunity to take history and consider possible treatment plans for patients that were presenting with BV, vaginitis, and Herpes.