Gaining a life-long career in the medical field is a dream for many Americans. If you want to gain a respectful, high-paying job as an OBGYN, you’ll need to be prepared for a long haul of training and education. After you’ve finally gained your dream career, however, you’ll be ready to lead a satisfying, comfortable life. For those who are looking to become an OBGYN, knowing the path you must take to achieve the position is critical. To assist you, here are the six steps toward becoming an OBGYN:
1. Studying a Pre-Med-Related Field
Once you’ve graduated high school, you have the nerve-wracking but exciting duty of deciding what college degree you’ll seek out when getting your bachelor’s degree. Genetics, physics, anatomy, biology, chemistry, and other pre-med-related fields are a necessity if you want to eventually enjoy a career as an OBGYN. To ensure you can get into a great medical program for your bachelor’s degree, you should be taking as many advanced science classes during high school as possible. Doing so will help you impress people who review your application and will make them more likely to invite you into a quality program.
2. Enrolling in a Top-Tier Medical School
Getting your bachelor’s degree is only the first step toward becoming a medical professional. Especially if you’re looking to work as an OBGYN, you need to enroll in a top-tier medical school to ensure you can get a solid job. Finding OBGYN jobs becomes much simpler if you study at a top-tier medical school, after all. To get into a medical school where you can gain your higher-tier degrees, you’ll need to pass your MCAT (Medical College Admission Test), so be sure to study up! Being able to answer questions about critical analysis, reasoning skills, psychological, social, and biological foundations, and the biological and chemical processes of the human body, will be essential to passing your MCAT test.
3. Complete an OBGYN Residency
After the long haul of perfecting your skills and knowledge during medical school, you’ll need to find a practice where you can complete an OBGYN residency. States require that OBGYNs go through this process to get their licenses (which we will cover in more detail below), as it helps them understand the ins and outs of this complex medical position. The mentorships you’ll gain during a medical residency will ensure you gain extensive experience in surgical procedures, primary preventive care, patient diagnosis, and all the other key skills you’ll need to be a successful OBGYN. Typically, you will be completing your residency at either a clinic or an emergency room.
4. Gain Your Certifications and Licenses
Before you’re able to become a fully-fledged OBGYN, you’ll need to gain all of the proper licenses and certifications from the state you live in. However, before you are fully certified, many states will allow you to practice as an OBGYN if you’re under the supervision of a licensed professional in the OBGYN field. Those who gained an M.D. will gain their license by passing the U.S. Medical Licensing Exam, and those who gained a D.O. during their studies gain their license by passing the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination. These are even more intense and specific than the MCAT, so taking your time to study as much as humanly possible is a must.
5. Finalize Your Education
Even after completing all of the above steps, you’ll frequently find yourself continuing your education as an OBGYN. Not only will discoveries and revelations in the field affect your work, but many professionals will periodically take classes or gain new certifications that allow them to perform certain procedures. In some states, you will need to gain a certain degree of continued education as an OBGYN to maintain your professional license. As you complete your education, you’ll have time for love, family, and hobbies as well.
6. Discover the Perfect OBGYN Position
With all of this amazing experience and education under your belt, you’ll finally be a stellar OBGYN candidate. You can discover the perfect OBGYN position by searching out quality openings around you. Because of the high demand for OBGYNs around the country, you will have amazing job flexibility. The high pay, insane benefits, and job satisfaction you’ll gain from becoming an OBGYN, however, will be priceless.
Here’s to Your Career as an OBGYN
Now that you understand the path you must take to become an OBGYN, the rest is up to you. If you want to enjoy the respect, high pay, and amazing job benefits of this career path, you’ll have to do a lot of work beforehand. However, it will all pay off once you’re enjoying a satisfying career as a professional OBGYN.
