I really enjoyed my Obstetrics and Gynecology (OB/GYN) rotation, which was honestly unsurprising to me since I really, really enjoyed our OB/GYN didactic course. This rotation was split into three parts: 1) outpatient OB/GYN clinic; 2) labor and delivery; 3) gynecology (consults, surgeries). My favorite part by far was the outpatient OB/GYN clinic, and I think it was because it really aligned with a lot of my personal and professional values. I love OB/GYN as a field, and educating patients on reproductive health while providing a safe space to talk about personal (and often stigmatized) topics was really rewarding. And it felt even more pertinent now in this moment when the reproductive health of patients with vaginas and patients with vaginas themselves are being assailed. 

I was also surprised by the amount of patients who did not seek pregnancy, but continued to have unprotected sex without any desire to use contraception. The differences in patient knowledge, opinion, values, and beliefs was fascinating and a wonderful learning experience on its own – one that I think will absolutely contribute to me being a more well-rounded clinician. I was also surprised by how much I preferred outpatient OB/GYN clinic to the labor and delivery unit. But like I experienced on my Surgery rotation: clinic is my jam and patient contact and connection is where I really feel I thrive.

This rotation absolutely furthered my interest in working in OB/GYN. And as a soon-to-be Black female provider, it made me feel uniquely positioned to empower, educate, and advocate for those who look like me at some of the most intimate and deeply personal points of their lives.