The Ob/Gyn Center at Bethesda North Hospital

Ashley Sutherland, Summer 2014

My summer experience at Bethesda North OB/GYN Center was phenomenal. The clinic runs very smoothly and opens at 8:00 am except on Thursdays, when it opens at 12:30 pm. The clinic is run by Resident Physicians who are supervised by an experienced Attending Faculty Physician. Usually about 2 Residents, a Chief Resident, and Attending Physician are on staff daily. The clinic also has a great Nursing staff and Nurse Practitioner who triage and see patients as well. On Monday afternoons the Center has a colposcopy clinic where women who have risks of cervical cancer are seen for screenings, biopsies, and treatment. On Wednesday afternoon, there is the High Risk Clinic, which has appointments for women with Gestational diabetes, history of preterm delivery or anemia among others. The clinic serves a variety of patients, many of whom are underserved and use Medicaid or have no pre-natal coverage. Women who have no coverage for their obstetric care can sign up for a payment plan under a contract with the Hospital in which they can pay installments on $2500 for their delivery. The clinic also staffs dieticians, social workers, and care coordinators to help facilitate in the best of patient care.

On my very first day after a shadowing a resident to see 2 patients, I went out on my own: seeing patients first, taking histories, performing physical exams and then presenting this information to the resident physicians. This is everything a medical student should be prepared to do; however, with this population of patients, I felt it was a different ball game. Connecting with women who are pregnant, emotional, in pain, or distressed was not exactly what I was mentally or emotionally prepared for. However, I found that a great listening ear and mature attitude made all the difference. Surveying different women with different backgrounds was a humbling experience. Each woman had a different story, some seemingly typical, while others had experienced a lot of life at a very young age. Some women had multiple unplanned pregnancies and other women had histories of abuse, depression, or drug addiction. Not only was my position held in such confidence that I was provided the opportunity to elicit this information, but I was also heard when I discussed birth control options and smoking or drug cessation.

Soon after mastering the routine of the clinic, I was also afforded the chance to go the Labor and Delivery unit and I had the opportunity to assist with Cesarean sections and observe vaginal births as well as a hysterectomy. Overall, I think that my experience helped me to gain awareness of the problems that exist with the underserved population and how our community is striving to help with these issues. I found that everyone at the center and the hospital were very helpful and supportive of my project in the clinic. I am so very grateful to the Physicians and staff at the OB/GYN Center and Urban Health Project for this opportunity.