Donald Westra Jr. M.D. was an obstetrician and gynecologist for over 34 years, but retired and now lives in Bradenton, Florida. He ran many successful practices during that time and delivered over 5,000 babies. It takes s special type of person to work in the field of obstetrics and gynecology. The day in the life of one of these doctors can be stressful and unpredictable. Babies can come day or night and you never know what the delivery experience will bring.
For medical students who are thinking about entering this field, there are many things to consider. Obstetrics and gynecology is an area of the medical field that requires a variety of practices, such as checkups for women, gynecologic and oncological surgery and delivering newborns. This specialty usually involves lengthy days and varying schedules.
A typical day on the job for an OB-GYNs frequently take 24-hour shifts, which starts by calling the OB-GYN who was on duty the previous day for an update. If there are no surgery cases, such as a scheduled C-section, they are off to their practice or clinic.
At the clinic, these doctors normally see usually see routine gynecologic cases, such as yearly exams and treat infections. After putting in a long day at the office, they may get a page from the emergency room to see a pregnant patient who is experiencing some type of trouble. They then call the ER with standard trauma orders to keep her stable until the OBGYN can arrive. Once that patient is stabilized, it’s completely likely that another patient will come in with labor pains. Labor can last anywhere from one hour to 36 hours.
Donald Westra Jr. M. D. enjoyed his years in obstetric and gynecology practice. He now runs a successful property management company and owns multiple rental properties.
Donald Westra JR MD 