Obstetrics and gynaecology
Doctors in obstetrics and gynaecology (O&G) care for pregnant women and unborn children, and look after women’s sexual and reproductive health.
You’ll start off in both obstetrics and gynaecology.
Life as an O&G doctor
Obstetrics and gynaecology is a varied role combining medicine and surgery so many of your patients will be healthy people going through a life change.
In obstetrics, midwives handle most of the low risk care and uncomplicated deliveries. You’ll deal with more complicated pregnancies and births and perform procedures such as caesarean sections.
In gynaecology, your patients will be women of all ages. You could be involved in anything from keyhole surgery through to advising on fertility treatment.
There is no typical day in obstetrics and gynaecology, which is part of the appeal. This is a 24/7 role. Working in a multidisciplinary team on the labour ward is a major aspect of the job, so you can expect to be on-call and workout of hours at times.
You’ll probably work on a shift system, beginning with ward rounds, and including working in an outpatient clinic, an operating theatre list or a specialist clinic.
This is an exciting area, where techniques developed over the past 30 years have transformed the lives of women and babies and continue to do so at a rapid pace.
How much can I earn?
You’ll first earn a salary when you start your foundation training after medical school. Find out details of current salary ranges for foundation and specialty training, SAS doctors and consultants on the 'Pay for doctors' page.
How about the benefits?
- make a difference
- flexible and part-time working
- high income early in your career
- work anywhere in the world
- excellent pension scheme
- good holiday entitlement
- NHS discounts in shops and restaurants
Must-have skills
- excellent communication skills to manage a wide range of relationships with colleagues, and patients and their families
- emotional resilience, a calm temperament and the ability to work well under pressure
- teamwork and the capacity to lead multidisciplinary teams
- problem-solving and diagnostic skills
- outstanding organisational ability and effective decision-making skills
- first-class time and resource management for the benefit of patients
- a high degree of manual dexterity
- superb hand-eye co-ordination, excellent vision, and visuospatial awareness
- physical stamina to cope with the demands of surgery
Entry requirements
- Your first step is medical school. Typically, you’ll need excellent GCSEs and three A or A* passes at A level including chemistry for a five-year undergraduate degree in medicine. Many medical schools also ask for biology and others may require maths or physics.
- If you already have a degree, you could study for a four-year postgraduate degree in medicine.
- You’ll need to pass an interview and admissions test. You’ll be asked to show how you demonstrate the NHS values such as compassion and respect.
- Some medical schools look to recruit a mix of students from different backgrounds and geographical areas, so your educational and economic background and family circumstances could be considered as part of your application.
What are my chances of starting a career in obstetrics and gynaecology?
In 2020 there were 672 applications for 256 places on O&G specialty training.
How to become a doctor in obstetrics and gynaecology
- After medical school, you’ll join the paid two year foundation programme where you’ll work in six placements in different settings.
- After your foundation programme, you can apply for paid specialty training to become a doctor in obstetrics and gynaecology, which will take a minimum of seven years.
- You may be able to train part time, for example for health reasons or if you have family or caring responsibilities.
Where a career in obstetrics and gynaecology can take you
You could:
- specialise or conduct research in areas such as fertility care or high-risk obstetrics
- teach medical students or postgraduate students in training
- get involved in research at universities, the NHS or private sector
-
Consultant Obstetrics and Gynaecology
Birmingham, B9 5SS
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
-
Consultant Obstetrics and Gynaecology
Bangor, LL57 2PW
- Salary :
- £110240.00 to £160951.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board
-
Locum Consultant Obstetrics and Gynaecology
Birmingham, B9 5SS
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
-
Consultant in Obstetrics and Gynaecology
Ashton Under Lyne, OL6 9RW
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust
-
Consultant Obstetrics and Gynaecology - Urogynaecology specialist
Birmingham, B9 5SS
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
-
Consultant Obstetrics and Gynaecology Menopause Specialist
Birmingham, B15 2TH
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
-
Specialty Doctor in Obstetrics and Gynaecology
Warwick, CV34 5BW
- Salary :
- £61542.00 to £99216.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust
-
Obstetrics and Gynaecology Trust Registrar ST3+
Peterborough, PE3 9GZ
- Salary :
- £65048.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust
-
Consultant in Obstetrics and Gynaecology - Fixed Term
Rotherham, S60 2UD
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust
-
Consultant in Obstetrics and Gynaecology (Interest in Abortion Care)
Leeds, LS9 7TF
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Leeds Teaching Hospitals
-
Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist with interest in Obstetrics
Dartford, DA2 8DA
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust
-
Locum Consultant Obstetrician & Gynaecologist
Telford, TF4 2FW
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust
-
Locum Consultant Obstetrician & Gynaecologist
London, N18 1QX
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust
-
Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist - Generalist
Dartford, DA2 8DA
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust
-
Locum Consultant in Gynaecology
Taunton, TA1 5DA
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- Somerset NHS Foundation Trust
-
Consultant in Gynaecological Oncology
Oxford, OX3 7LE
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
-
Consultant Subspecialist in Gynaecological Oncology
Wolverhampton, WV10 0QP
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust
-
Consultant in Obstetrics & Gynaecology
Woolwich, SE18 4QH
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust
-
Locum Consultant Obstetrics & Gynaecology
Hereford, HR1 2ER
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- Wye Valley NHS Trust
-
Bank ST3 - Obstetrics & Gynaecology
Essex, SS00RY
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Bank
- Employer :
- Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust
-
Bank - Consultant - Obstetrics & Gynaecology
Essex, SS0 0RY
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Bank
- Employer :
- Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust
-
Locum Consultant in Obstetrics & Gynaecology
Whitehaven, CA28 8JG
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust
-
Associate Head of School - Obstetrics & Gynaecology
Manchester, M1 3BN
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Secondment
- Employer :
- NHS England
-
Senior Clinical Fellow in Obstetrics & Gynaecology
London, SE1 7EH
- Salary :
- £73992.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust
-
Rota Co-ordinator for Obstetrics & Gynaecology and Paediatrics
Dudley, DY1 2HQ
- Salary :
- £27485.00 to £30162.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust
-
Locum Consultant in Obstetrics & Gynaecology w/ interest in Urogynae
Redhill, RH1 5RH
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust
-
Consultant Gynaecologist
Liverpool, L8 7SS
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Liverpool Women's NHS Foundation Trust
-
Consultant Obstetrician
Taunton, TA1 5DA
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Somerset NHS Foundation Trust
-
Consultant Obstetrician
London, W12 0HS
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
-
Locum Consultant Obstetrician
Telford, TF1 6TF
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust
-
Locum Consultant Obstetrician
Nottingham, NG5 1PB
- Salary :
- £105504.00 to £139882.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trusts
-
Consultant Obstetrician Fetal Medicine
Birmingham, B15 2TH
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
-
Obstetric Sonographer
Guildford, GU2 7XX
- Salary :
- £57888.00 to £64880.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust
-
Locum Consultant Gynaecologist with 2WW Interest
Nottinghamshire, NG7 2UH
- Salary :
- £99532.00 to £131964.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trusts
-
Consultant Gynaecologist with Interest in Endometriosis
Oxford, OX3 9DU
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
-
Sonographer Gynaecology
Bromsgrove, B61 0AZ
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Locum
- Employer :
- HealthHarmonie
-
Sonographer Gynaecology
Doncaster, DN40TG
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Locum
- Employer :
- HealthHarmonie
-
Gynaecology Consultant
Glasgow, G51 4TF
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Locum
- Employer :
- Partnering Health Ltd
-
Gynaecology HCA
Warrington, WA2 7TT
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Bank
- Employer :
- 18 Week Support Limited
-
Gynaecology HCA
Ilford, IG1 2DG
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Bank
- Employer :
- 18 Week Support Limited
-
Gynaecology HCA
Warrington, WA2 7TT
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Bank
- Employer :
- 18 Week Support Limited
-
Gynaecology Consultant
Gloucester, GL1 3PX
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Locum
- Employer :
- HealthHarmonie
-
Sonographer Gynaecology
Gloucester, GL1 3PX
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Locum
- Employer :
- HealthHarmonie
-
Sonographer Gynaecology
Birmingham, B31 3HB
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Locum
- Employer :
- HealthHarmonie
-
GPwER - Gynaecology
Birmingham, B16 8PE
- Salary :
- £10750.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Modality LLP
-
Sonographer Gynaecology
Hereford, HR1 1BB
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Locum
- Employer :
- HealthHarmonie
-
Sonographer Gynaecology
Dunston, ST18 9AB
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Locum
- Employer :
- HealthHarmonie
-
Gynaecology Consultant
Doncaster, DN40TG
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Locum
- Employer :
- HealthHarmonie
-
Perinatal Workforce Plan Sessional Clinical Lead - Obstetrician
Cardiff, CF15 7QQ
- Salary :
- £110240.00 to £160951.00
- Type :
- Secondment
- Employer :
- Health Education and Improvement Wales
-
Locum Consultant Gynaecologist with an interest in Oncology
Telford, TF1 6TF
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust
-
Consultant in Obstetric Anaesthesia
Norwich, NR4 7UY
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital
-
Gynaecology Hysteroscopy Nurse
Ilford, IG1 2DG
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Bank
- Employer :
- 18 Week Support Limited
-
Registered Nurse (Gynaecology)
Cwmbran, NP44 8YN
- Salary :
- £31516.00 to £38364.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Aneurin Bevan University Health Board
-
Gynaecology Hysteroscopy Nurse
Warrington, WA2 7FW
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Bank
- Employer :
- 18 Week Support Limited
-
Clinical Fellow - Gynaecology
Birmingham, B16 8PE
- Salary :
- £10250.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Modality LLP
-
Consultant Obstetrician with an interest in Maternal Medicine
Telford, TF1 6TF
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust
-
Clinical Research Fellow in Obstetrics
Leeds, LS9 7TF
- Salary :
- £73992.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- Leeds Teaching Hospitals
-
Consultant Gynaecological Oncologist Surgeon
London, W12 0HS
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Locum
- Employer :
- Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
-
Ward Manager - Gynaecology Outpatients
Chelmsford, CM17ET
- Salary :
- £47810.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust
-
Consultant Anaesthetist with interest in Obstetric Anaesthesia
Cardiff, CF14 4XW
- Salary :
- £110240.00 to £160951.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Cardiff and Vale University Health Board
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These organisations have further information about being a doctor in obstetrics and gynaecology, particularly as your career progresses. Take a look.
The Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare
Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists