OB/GYN

Yesterday was my first day on OB/GYN, but all we did was sit through a day of orientation. As mind-numbing as that sounds it was preferable to the way I was introduced to surgery, when we basically had a twenty minute crash course and then were left to figure out what we were supposed to be doing, and then yelled at for not knowing what we should do.
One of the other students in the rotation has had the exact schedule as I, and we by far have done more rotations and knew the hospital whereas everybody else who came through had done at most one. It was an odd feeling, and we left the hospital feeling "like fourth years," and like we had actually accomplished something. It was a nice feeling because not too long ago I didn't know a thing.

Today was my first day on the floor, and quite frankly it was a bit boring. I got good practice filling out H&Ps, determining fetal heart rates, and gathering a whole new type of history. In twelve hours I saw two deliveries, ten minutes apart. The other OB student and I spent much of the rest of the time listening when we could to the attendings, trying to learn whatever we could, and basically just standing around. I spent a good hour pretending not to listen to the doctor and midwife talk about hospital politics and other such stuff trying to pick up a thing or two, and get a feel for who's who in the department. Afterward, just as it's time for another student to arrive and assume the evening call, the doctor turns to me:

Doctor: "So how many deliveries have you done?"
Me: "I've been in the two today. This is my second day.''
Doctor: "Oh well!!! Then it's time for you to do one! See one. Do one. Teach one!"
Me: "That sounds great."

So we talk about the patient that she was sticking around to watch, and I said I was waiting for the next student but that since I am post call tomorrow I'd be happy to stay for a while to assist in the delivery. We talked for a few minutes about fetal heart monitoring and accelerations and decelerations, and the doctor then said she was going to go check the patient. In one hour she went from 4cm to 8cm, and 90% effaced, with an IUGR, so the doctor said we're ready to push. She told me I could scrub in and I did. As the baby was coming out the doctor had me come finish the pushing. I held the head and caught the baby literally as it came out. Then, having seen previous deliveries, I went for the clamps for the umbilical cord, and ended up cutting the cord as well because the mom (who was alone!) didn't want to do it.