A Day in the Life: OB

Here is a look at what my schedule was like as the OB Chief this past fall:

The OB team consists of a PGY4, a PGY3 (the point person for the Antepartum patients during the day), and two interns (The "Board" intern labors all the patients, and the "Procedures" intern does all the surgical cases). It is a 7-8 week block for the Chief and 3-4 weeks for everyone else.

Our Antepartum service averages between 12-18 patients at any given time during the week, and our High Risk postpartum list can be a beast at times as well.

Night Before: Look at L&D procedures scheduled for the next day, resident staffing, and make sure that the appropriate resident is covering each case for maximal learning

0415: Alarm goes off... I may or may not get up (some things never change)

0430-0445: Out of bed, find clothing by flashlight in an effort to not wake the hubby. Get dressed

0500: Out the door, take caffeine pill x1

0535: Park

0545: Arrive on L&D, change into scrubs, and get sign out from the overnight resident (PGY4) on our antepartum patients

0550-0615: Round on my patients, update plans, write notes

0630: Head to the Antepartum conference room for table rounds. This includes the Antepartum attending, MFM fellow (1), residents, and medical students. We quickly go through all of the high risk postpartum patients and antepartum patients.

**Med studs, again, THIS is when knowing how to execute succinct, clear, and relevant presentations comes in handy. You will shine as a student and you will shine as a resident ;-)** 

0700-0710: Teaching

0710: Board rounds - the Nights team (PGY4 + PGY1) gives sign out on the patients who are laboring or still on Labor & Delivery for increased monitoring/post-operative/delivery needs

0730: The procedure intern runs through the cases scheduled for the day. The first cesarean section rolls back to the OR...

0745: If I am not needed in the OR, I get breakfast and coffee now because it makes me happier ;-)

0800: Meet the laboring patients with the "Board" intern, day time L&D attending, nurses, and medical students

0800-1700:
- Serve as the point person for new admissions from clinics, transfers, complicated triage patients, add-on cases, and any obstetrical emergencies that arise
- Help supervise the intern with their vaginal deliveries and repairs
- Cover the antepartum patients when the PGY3 is in clinic
- Staff obstetrical consults from the Family Medicine or Midwifery services with the Attending
- Keep morale high and team members fed ;-) I also added the job of DJ to this role with my bluetooth speaker

DJ-ing and holding all devices for team lunch procurement #Chiefing 

**On Wednesdays, we have our didactics, Grand Rounds, or M&M, so we leave the floor around 1300, and get back around 1700**

**On Fridays, I had an OB-only continuity clinic in the mornings from 0800-1200. The rest of the team have their own clinic days**

1700-1730: Help tuck-in any day time work on L&D, the Antepartum, or High Risk services

1730: Sign-out to the Nights team

1830-1900: Head home!

**Daycare/Before-School Care drop-offs are long after I leave for work so I am not around for the morning hustle on this block. I also usually can't get out in time for pick up - 6PM for the big kid and 6:30PM for daycare**

1900/1930: Home! Nate and the kids usually arrive 30min-1hr before I do.
- Some times we eat dinner together, but most of the time I miss it :-(
- If I am feeling ambitious (rare) I may try and fit in a 30min work out session as soon as I get home

2000: Wrangle kids for baths and bed

2030: Bedtime! Mainly for the kids, but I'm ready for bed by then too. If I have to prep for M&M or clinic, then I usually do this before bed.

Weekends: The PGY3 and PGY4 alternate on who will be responsible for rounding each weekend. This usually it takes 2-4 hours depending on the number of patients and what all has to be done - bedside procedures, consults, discharges...

Every other weekend we are on call during a Sunday-day shift (0800-1930).