DO ObGyn.com
Why I chose the ARMC OBGyn residency program, and why I would choose it again…
Volume
ARMC does approximately 2500 deliveries per year, with only 11 to 12 residents covering the service. Junior residents perform up to 100 Cesarean deliveries in their first year to year and a half. There are gyn-oncology rooms operating once per week, and no fellows to compete for OR time with. Benign rooms operate twice to three times per week. There are countless opportunities to learn OB and Gyn ultrasound in the prep room / triage area and with the MFM fellows. And the pathology is incredible.
Pathology
The patient population is considered underserved. Because of barriers within health care delivery, the county hospital serves people with a very wide range of pathology in a wide array of stages. It seems that regularly there are cases that go beyond those you can read about in the literature or in text books.
Autonomy
From the first day, there is a high expectation of all residents. In your first year you will learn to perform Cesarean and vaginal deliveries, including operative vaginal deliveries. You are expected to know how to run L&D on your own very early on in training. You will be comfortable with simple clinic procedures in the matter of weeks including endometrial biopsies and IUD placement. If you are ‘chomping at the bit’ to get out and DO Ob/Gyn this is the program for you!
Location
I grew up in Southern California and refuse to leave. I am so lucky this training program is in the area where I already owned some property. Southern California really offers so much; the beach, mountains for hiking or snowboarding, the desert full of golf courses are only a short drive away (if you can manage a little time off!).
People
The residents who graduate from this program are more than capable of handling anything they desire. Graduates have gone into group and private practices, and have stayed at ARMC as attending physicians. The ones I know are so competent, caring and capable. They have branched beyond the scope of practice learned in residency with grace.
The current residents and nursing staff have become my second family. Mostly, there is a co-operation in difficult situations. While any family has its dysfunctional side, this one copes very well with the amount of stress always present. I am sure that the people I have worked with during residency will remain some of my closest friends for life.