OBSTETRICS AND GYNAECOLOGY
O&G is an 8-week placement of which 6 weeks are spent at hospital and 2 weeks at the GP.
How you will spend your time
How to fit in pathology Which books to use How to use the resources on medportal Assignments What came up in the exam How to prepare for the exam CLICK TO EXPAND
There is a set number of clinics and theatre lists you need to attend, which leave a comfortable amount of time for revision.
You will also spend two weeks at a regional hospital where you can consolidate all subspecialties. This is also the chance to see as much obstetrics as you like and perhaps the easiest opportunity to tick off your pelvic examination list. The exact schedule depends on the local hospital.
During the GP placement, similar to that of the paediatrics placement, it is again a bit hit and miss how many gynae cases you will see. Hopefully your GP will organise a few special sessions for you, for example with a nurse specialising in contraception or with a midwife. The GP placement can also provide additional opportunities to perform pelvic examinations on patients that are not pre-op, something that I didn't manage to do much during my time in hospital.
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You also need to perform your five pelvic examinations and get them signed off. It’s easiest to do this during theatre days at Addie’s or at your regional hospital. Many people manage to get them all done in a day.
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Examination stations – usually 2 each year, some combined with practical skills
* Examination of the pregnant abdomen (2013, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008) – often followed by a viva about what other routine things are tested during antenatal appointments and/or questions about pre-eclampsia and urinalysis.
* Pelvic examination and/or smears/swabs (2013, 2011, 2010, 2009) – in various combinations, always ask if a bimanual is required, viva can be on procedure after cervical smear, finding a lump during bimanual, swab etc.
Communication skills - up to 4 Hx each year
* Incontinence (2013, 2011, 2010, 2009) - questions about treatment
* Antenatal bleeding (2011, 2010, 2008, 2007) - questions about causes and treatment
* Post-section/post-natal complications (2013, 2009, 2008) - in our case this was a history of a woman with pyrexia in a hospital bed followed by questions on how to investigate and manage her
* Abdominal mass (2010) - questions about investigation of ovarian cancer
* Contraception (2013, 2008) - in our year, this felt like a mixed Hx and explanation and planning station to decide which mode of contraception was best for the patient
* Post-menopausal bleeding (2011, 2009)
* Subfertility (2011, 2009)
* Amenorrhoea (2010)
* Menorrhagia (2008)
Explanation and Planning Station - usually 1 station with time to prepare before the exam
* Fibroids (2013, 2011, 2010, 2009)
* Concern about Down's syndrome (2007)
Case-based learning / Community case - usually 1 per year
This station has five minutes of reading time, followed by a viva. Usually, there is a combination of medical, psychological, social issues and ethical issues that you need to discuss, covering the entire O&G objectives: ectopic pregnancy, recurrent miscarriage, previous abortion, smoking, alcohol abuse, promiscuity, underage sex, domestic abuse, etc.
Data interpretation station - 0-1 per year
* Interpretation of tests relating to fertility (2013)
* Interpretation of partogram (2008, 2007)
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Just like for paediatrics, the BMA offers an Essential O&G course that is quite useful for introduction or revision. I found the O&G course slightly less useful than the paediatrics one, but still worth it. Perhaps it’s better not to book them both on the same week-end, so you can still take in some info on the 2nd day.