The Role Of Gynecologists In Women’s Health

By: Sambriddi Adhikari

Edited by: Maya Adam

A gynecologist is a doctor in the medical field who specifically specializes in female reproductive health. Gynecologists diagnose as well as treat various diseases in a woman's reproductive system such as pelvic pain disorders, ovarian cysts, and Polycystic Ovary syndrome (PCOS). Along with that, they also provide preventive care such as performing pelvic exams or pap smears, guidance throughout a woman's pregnancy, sexual health, and menopause, and performing surgical procedures when needed. It is advised for girls to start seeing a gynecologist from the age of 13 to 15 and continue seeing them throughout their lives.

To become a gynecologist it can take from around 12 to 15 years of schooling after high school. You need to have a bachelor's (four-year process), four years of medical school, four years of residency, and lastly earn the license & certification that is required to officially practice as a gynecologist. After those requirements are completed, gynecologists can also become specialized in a specific topic such as Maternal-fetal medicine, family planning, or minimally invasive surgery, through extensive training. Many gynecologists can also become obstetricians, which is a doctor who specializes in pregnancy and childbirth. They provide their care for women throughout the process of their pregnancy, labor, and delivery. Gynecologists who also specialize in the aspect of pregnancy are called ‘OB-GYNs’.

Annual visits to the gynecologist are highly recommended for women between the ages of 21-29 while receiving a pap smear every three years during that age range. After that, they can go to their gynecologist every other year if their health is in good condition. If women are on birth control then it is likely that their gynecologist will require them to visit more often for checkups. 

Being a gynecologist is a major responsibility and commitment since they are expected to deal with all kinds of situations. It is also an extremely time-consuming career with long working hours. They often work more than 40 hours per week while sometimes taking shifts that are 24 hours or longer at a time. Their schedule tends to vary depending on where they work. If they work at an office seeing patients for checkups then they won't work as long hours as a gynecologist who works in a hospital in childbirth for long periods. As a gynecologist, more specifically OBGYN it is important to be able to stay focused during stressful situations and emergencies. 

Work Cited 

CareerExplorer. “What Does a Gynecologist Do?” Careerexplorer.com, CareerExplorer, 11 Apr. 2017,

www.careerexplorer.com/careers/gynecologist/.

Ratini, Melinda. “What Is a Gynecologist?” WebMD, 4 Aug. 2023,     www.webmd.com/women/what-is-  gynecologist.

“Yahoo Image Search.” Images.search.yahoo.com, images.search.yahoo.com/yhs/view.

“Your Gynecologist Is There for More than Just Annual Exams—Here’s Everything They Can Help With.” 

Health, www.health.com/gynecologist-8547429.