Top Resources for OBGYN Rotations

I did most of my OBGYN rotation in out-patient, but was able to attend a few deliveries and scrub into some surgeries. My experience overall was really great, and I wanted to talk about some of the resources I actually used. (I say actually because I downloaded many other apps and found other websites that might have been great resources too, but I didn’t end up using those).

I did this rotation in the US, but I think these resources are equally useful all over the world. The only resources I wouldn’t necessarily recommend for those who aren’t preparing for the USMLEs would be the UWorld and UWise, but otherwise, the other resources are genuinely useful for all types of clinical experiences.

It’s important to note that we didn’t have a shelf exam – I will have an exam when I get back to my university (I am abroad now), so I didn’t actually get tested on this material yet. I do think these resources are very useful for those preparing for a shelf as well, though. Read on to find out what the best resources for OBGYN rotations are!

BASIC OBGYN RESOURCES (Question Banks)

UWORLD

– the gold standard for Step 2CK, so it is logical to assume that it would be useful for rotations too! I did most (95%) of UWorld questions for OBGYN before starting my rotation, and I think it helped a lot! I did these questions months ago, so before the rotation started I just reread my notes (to read about how I took notes for Step 2CK, click here).

AMBOSS

Between their knowledge library & their question bank, Amboss is an overall great resource. Message or email me for 15% (available til October 17th)!

UWISE

An OBGYN-specific Q-bank (made by ACOG, the American College of Gynecologists) that costs $70 a month; I haven’t bought a subscription yet but I am strongly considering it; it would give an extra 600 questions.

PODCAST: Best OBGYN Podcast for Rotations

This podcast is made specifically FOR medical students, by an OBGYN. It goes through key topics (“Before Your First Hysteroscopy”) and tells you what you, as a med student, can be expected to know and do. It’s really helpful, and the episodes are short and to the point. They make for easy listening on your morning commute.

I would say this is the single most useful podcast I’ve ever found for medical school.

TEXTBOOKS for OBGYN

CURRENT DIAGNOSIS & TREATMENT OBGYN

This book (linked in Amazon*) has a great layout and is very easy to read. I didn’t use many of the other recommended books, so I can’t do a full comparison. But I found this one on my doctor’s shelf and asked to borrow it for a few weeks because I fell in love at first sight.

What makes it really useful is that it has a good amount of detail that many other resources don’t – it reads a bit like it was written for residents, but I don’t know if that’s true (since I’m not a resident). There is maybe a bit too much information for medical student level, but it was still a great read, especially for skimming before going into procedures (C-section, hysterectomy, etc.), which they explained almost step-by-step.

OBGYN CASE FILES

This book (linked in Amazon*) is case-based learning, which I generally don’t like, but they explain key takeaways for each case really well and it’s a great way to learn. The cases cover most of the major things you’ll likely see, and it’s a more active form of learning (you try to solve the case before you read the theory and explanation).

*I linked the textbooks on Amazon; these links are affiliate links, which means that if you do decide to purchase, I get a small amount, at no extra cost to you!

YOUTUBE VIDEOS as an OBGYN Resource

Very useful for every rotation, which goes without saying, but OBGYN is a very anatomy-heavy rotation and YouTube is great for visualizing the structures before you go into the OR. I watched walkthroughs of most of the operations that I was going to scrub in on, and I definitely recommend doing that!

Below are the THREE best videos that I came across:

1. Tips from an OBGYN resident for medical students: this was great because she not only talks about resources (like most YT videos), but also specific THINGS we should know/review (she reminded me to look over the pelvic ligaments, for example).

2. Laparoscopic anatomy: video which HIGHLIGHTS the key structure as it labels it. Amazing. Wish there were more videos. I watched it before my hysterectomy today and it was really helpful.

3. MyEM Cert Review Course for OBGYN: A 90-minute lecture by an EM doctor for the EM boards, but don’t fret, the level of knowledge isn’t above student-level. The video contains a ton of high yield information, and I found it really helpful, especially the first half.

Best Resources for OBGYN Rotations