A career in Obs and Gynae

By Mr Mohamed Waseem Osman

MBChB MRCOG MD Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist

Obstetrics and Gynaecology is a wide-ranging speciality with an extensive training programme that enables you to have a great choice in your career path. I feel that this speciality is the true epitome of the degree of MBChB; one has the opportunity to do both medicine and surgery. This is the main reason I chose to be an obstetrician and gynaecologist.

The job is exactly what I expected it to be—every day is different. Some days I see pregnant women, some days adolescents, some days grandmothers. I see patients from their early teens until their late 90s. Each patient is something new and different.

The training programme allows you to develop the necessary skills to develop into a well-rounded specialist. As an Obstetrician I have the privilege of being part of a couple’s journey through their pregnancy and safely support them whilst they bring life to this world. The satisfaction that I get when this journey is complete and the couple leave the hospital with their healthy newborn is priceless. The buzz on labour ward with the close inter and multidisciplinary teams working together brings about a sense of community.

I have a special interest in preventing and treating cancer. As a gynaecologist, I work in Gynae-oncology. I see women who are suspected to have a cervical, uterine or ovarian cancer. My work entails making a clinical assessment, organising the necessary investigations and then offering them the necessary treatment. This speciality is at the forefront of surgical advancement and due to these advances, I am able to offer minimal access surgery to these women. Laparoscopic surgery is mutually beneficial; it offers the patient a quicker recovery and the surgeon great satisfaction.

In addition to the clinical work, I have the opportunity to participate in clinical research. I recruit women to various international multicentre studies. There is a great emphasis on continued learning and teaching. I support the undergraduate and postgraduate medical training with both bed side teaching and lectures.

It is a physically and emotionally demanding career which is immensely rewarding and no two days are the same. I have no regrets in choosing OBGYN and if I were to go back again, I would choose the same .I highly recommend O&G, especially if you’re down to earth, have a sense of humour and are prepared to work hard.