This paper focuses on the career of Obstetrics and Gynecology. This career path entails a great deal of education and personal responsibility, but it is one fitting for myself and many like me. In order to become an OBGYN, one must spend a great deal of time on formal education and training. Because of the high level of educational requirements and subsequent cost, it is imperative that anyone intending to pursue such a career path consider all of the requirements prior to investing in the time and money required. Those who pursue this career path specialize in the fields of obstetrics and gynecology. This focuses primarily on reproductive systems for women, with diagnosing and treatment for said systems in tandem with the monitoring and supervision of pregnancy and childbirth. The essential educational requirements in order to pursue such a field is an M.D. in addition to which those who are considering such a career path must complete a medical residency and maintain state licensure in the state where they intend to practice. There is substantial growth projected for this field with a great deal of growth in terms of the income potential for those who enter the field. This reflects upon the changes in demographics for those entering and completing medical school and the growing demand for doctors in this field.
The first step is to complete an undergraduate bachelor program in a topic which would provide the foundation for a medical career, such as chemistry, anatomy, or biology. Some schools have pre-medicine courses, which offer the same information found in some med school classes but on a more rudimentary scale. There are some programs which include laboratory courses in them, something which enables students to become familiarized with the procedures they will come across in the future and the appropriate laboratory equipment. Upon graduating from a bachelor’s program, those who want to pursue this career choice must pass the MCAT in order to gain entry into a medical school program. The test is a day0long exam on physics, chemistry, biology, writing, and reading. The Association of American Medical Colleges has noted that half of those who apply to medical school after completing the MCAT are accepted. Anyone pursuing this career choice must complete a four year medical school program during which students complete the general physician courses, but can also opt for concentrations in obstetrics and gynecology. There are some medical schools today which offer programs with extensive heads-on practice by way of clinical rotations. During this, students are able to gain limited experience in this field of medicine. Students must then complete their internship, which lasts an average of one year, followed by a medical residency which can last an average of three to seven years. At the point of residency, students receive an income and are able to observe patients, create treatments, and evaluate patients. The final step is to gain a state license to practice in whichever state is preferred. In order to do this, one must pass the United States Medical Licensing Examination. This exam tests an individual’s ability to relate the learned medical principles and concepts to this specific practice.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has projected that this particular field will enjoy job growth at a rate of 18% until 2022. This is much faster that the average for other medical occupations including surgeons and physicians. This indicates that this particular career field among all of the medical careers is enjoying substantial growth, and in fact many of those who might have otherwise engaged in other medical professions are turning their focus to this one. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has also reported that the average salary is $212,570 as of 2013. This indicates that in addition to the growth of positions, this particular field offers a substantial salary on which one could repay the loans accumulated over the previous near-decade of education and still be able to live a comfortable life. This is also the highest paying field for women in medicine which means that the growth rate listed above is reflective upon the growth rate of women in medicine, and those women capitalizing upon the field which offers the most substantial income for them.
Analysis of Writing
When writing this essay I decided to use reputable sources, those which have all pertinent information about the author, the publication, the date, and whose authorships are credible, meaning they have some form of biography associated with them. Obviously most research would entail using proper academic sources, those which can be located in peer reviewed journals and in academic databases, but given that some of the relevant data pertaining to a career choice is that gleaned from official reporting agencies such as jobs departments and employment centers, it was important to include such options within this work but to verify that they were not statistics mass produced by a blog, but rather, statistics found from a reputable source. Again, in order to determine which of these sources were credible, I made sure that they came from at least reputable government websites, or organizational non-profit sites, and not from commercial sites. I decided to organize my paper based on the most relevant and remedial information in what turned out to be a chronological step. This meant that the qualification came first, due primarily to the fact that they are the first requirement for anyone pursuing this career. After that is the professional duties, things which are not required but it is important to know before getting involved in a career path. This seemed an appropriate structure for organization because it follows the same path one would take when pursuing the career.
My paper relies upon statistical evidence from reputable sources. The reason for this is to offer a reputable guide on what is required for this career path, and current statistics about those involved in the career path including how many are involved, where they are statistically most likely to work, what the earnings are compared to different geographic areas, etc… Because one would need to evaluate the cost of their education/certification, and one would need to see where they have earning and work potential, presenting these statistics and educational requirements is the most appropriate evidence for such a paper. The language used was formal, as the pretext for a potential career should be formal. Informal writing should be reserved for creative assignments and communication with friends. Considerations for a career path are serious and as such, the writing used should reflect that. The language was intended to be simple, but of course, some might deem the sentences too “complex” or long for their liking, but that is not reflective upon the language but rather, the reader. The audience to whom this essay most appeals is anyone looking for more information about the requirements for this career field. I appealed to logos, or logic, in this writing by presenting logical information that someone would need in order to make a logical career path. I avoided the use of appeal to ethos because the choice to follow a career path and to know what that path will require of a person is not something emotionally driven.
- http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes291064.htm
- Branch Jr Md, M. A. C. P., & William, T. (1993). Becoming a Doctor:” Critical Incident” Reports from Third Year Medical Students. N Engl J Med, 1130-1132.
- Finlay, S. E., & Fawzy, M. (2001). Becoming a doctor. Medical humanities,27(2), 90-92.
