Women’s health is an important field, and OB/GYN specialists are some of the most highly trained doctors in the medical profession. These doctors work with women throughout their lives to ensure that they have healthy pregnancies and maintain vaginal health.
OB/GYN associates must show patience, passion, and empathy for the women that come to their practice. So, to ensure you’re receiving the best care possible, read on to discover the necessary qualities of a great OB/GYN.
Patience
Patience is a virtue. It’s not the same as tolerance. You can be patient with someone and still not like or hate them. But for OB/GYNs, patience is an essential quality for them.
Patience helps OB/GYNs provide better care because it allows them to listen carefully without jumping to conclusions about what patients are saying or doing; this gives them more time for thoughtful responses instead of knee-jerk reactions that may cause more problems than solutions (and vice versa).
Empathy
Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. It’s also known as “perspective taking,” which means being able to see things from someone else’s perspective.
Empathy isn’t just about telling your patients they are doing well–it’s about genuinely feeling their pain, joy, and fear. Empathy is what allows you to put yourself in someone else’s shoes so that when they open up about something personal or emotional, it doesn’t feel like an intrusion on your privacy; instead, it feels like an opportunity for connection between two human beings who share similar experiences (even if those experiences are vastly different).
Exceptional Communication Skills
Communicating with patients and other healthcare professionals is crucial to the job. Listening to a patient’s concerns, asking the right questions, and explaining things is incredibly important. It’s not just about getting the information you need; it’s also about ensuring your patient understands what you’re doing and why.
Being assertive without being aggressive is an important skill, too. You want to make sure your patients know they can trust you, but you don’t want to scare or put them off by coming across as too forceful or authoritative.
A Desire to Connect
A good obstetrician-gynecologist is more than just a doctor. They are an ally and confidant who listens and cares about your health concerns. They should be willing to help you understand what’s going on with your body so that when it comes time for treatment, there are no surprises or misunderstandings between patient and doctor.
If you feel comfortable talking with your OB/GYN associate–or if they make it easy for you by asking questions themselves–then this is a sign of good communication between the two of you.
Bedside Manner
An excellent bedside manner is essential for an OB/GYN associate. A doctor with a lousy bedside manner can be challenging to work with and can make patients feel uncomfortable or even unsafe. But on the other hand, a doctor with a suitable bedside manner will put patients at ease and encourage them to open up about their concerns.
For example, imagine seeing your OB/GYN for the first time because you’re concerned about symptoms such as heavy bleeding or pain during intercourse. If your doctor immediately starts talking about how there’s nothing wrong with these symptoms or dismisses them altogether without listening to what you have been experiencing, then this is not an ideal scenario for either party involved.
On the other hand, if your doctor shows compassion toward what may be causing those symptoms–and explains why they could occur–then it makes sense that both parties would feel more comfortable discussing treatment options later on!
Deep Care of Women’s Health
You have to have a deep passion for women’s health. Women come in all shapes and sizes, but their needs are the same: they want someone who listens, understands, and cares about them. As an OB/GYN associate, your job is to provide that care by listening closely to what each patient says and responding with empathy, compassion, and respect.
Turn to Dr. Susan Fox
A great OB/GYN associate can connect with women on a deep level. This means being able to understand what they’re going through and being able to offer them the care that feels personalized and holistic. The best way to ensure that your patients feel cared for is by finding someone who shares these qualities with others in their profession, not just any doctor!
Dr. Susan Fox of Miami OB/GYN possesses these outstanding qualities and embodies them. If you’re not experiencing the best care, please call today to schedule an appointment.
