How to Become a Gynecologist

Gynecologists specialize in treating the health issues affecting the female reproductive system. It takes several years of education, training and work experience in order to qualify as a gynecologist.

Students wishing to become gynecologists must take up science as their main graduating subject while in college. If not make sure you take up all the necessary science courses offered by your college which are affiliated to the medical entrance exam. These subjects include courses on calculus, organic chemistry, biology, physics and chemistry.

After this they need to clear the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) in order to get admission in a suitable medical school. The selection process is very competitive, which means that you will need to score really high on your GPA results. The acceptable margin is a minimum of 3.5 while some exceptionally good medical colleges expect not less than a 3.7.

Once you get selected for medical school the real challenge will begin. It is a four yearlong course and requires that you spend the last two years gaining practical training.

► The course will teach you how to become a doctor and not just a gynecologist. You will be taught about medical science while taking a holistic approach on the course. During the first 2 years you will be taught basic topics which will require in-depth learning. You will be taught about medical ethics, human anatomy, pathology, microbiology and physiology.

► After the second year you will need to clear the first two parts of the Medical licensing exam or the USMLE.

► During the last two years of your medical school, you will be required to work as an intern in a hospital. Here you will be dealing with real cases, real patients and extremely different medical situations.

You will learn to work upon the knowledge already gained in the past two years, which will include how to deal with patients, surgeries, administration of medication, checking the health charts and reports, dealing with pediatric cases. And yes, finally you will also get a chance to handle gynecology-related cases.

► During the fourth year of medical school you will need to clear the second half of the USMLE.

A residency in gynecology is for 4 years and includes obstetrics. It takes even longer to gain a fellowship in specialized fields of gynecology such as surgeries and oncology. After which you will be qualified to take the gynecology board examination.

After passing this exam you shall be certified by the medical board as a qualified and practicing gynecologist. However the journey of excellence does not end here, once deemed as a gynecologist, you will need to keep yourself up-to-date with all the recent medical discoveries, research and advancements.

You need to keep increasing your educational qualification to go higher in stature of competition. It will also ensure that your annual gynecologist salary is as rewarding and equivalent to the amount of time and efforts put into the field. This can be done by doing additional courses offered by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).

After the completion of your residency, you will need to take up a sub specialized area to further qualify in. These include being a labor specialist, studying gynecological oncology, uro-gynecology, endocrinology of the reproductive system and maternal fetal medicine.

There will always be a demand for qualified gynecologists. However this job requires a lot of patience while at the job. They must have excellent interpersonal communicative skills and must help their patients feel secure and at ease.

They can also provide free community service by helping out women from broken families and those who cannot afford expensive medical treatment. All those who wish to take up this profession need to realize that it takes, years of education, training, time, hard work and most importantly a lot of dedication.