The Special Man

"We are looking for the special man," said the a female OB/GYN faculty member during today's Men in Women's Health panel. This "special man" is encouraged to join the OB/GYN field, where the number of males are dwindling.

Normally, Wednesday lunch is reserved for U-TEACH, an elective that takes us through the prenatal care and the birthing process. The scheduled In-Vitro Fertilization lecture was replaced with a Men in Women's Health panel, featuring an intern in OB/GYN in his first year of training and a faculty member that has spent the last 17 years at UCSF in OB/GYN.

Some of the issues that were discussed included the challenges, rewards, societal taboo associated with being a male in a field that focuses on women's health, and the downsides to being a male in the field.

One of the biggest challenges occurs when female patients will only see female providers (I place myself in this group). In that case, there is not much to do aside for apologizing or offering an female provider (if one is on hand).

Both panelists expressed a deep interest in their fields. They agreed that it is difficult to empathize with woman, having not experienced the contractions of labor or the pain of menstruation. But at the same time, they feel listening and paying attention to their patients can help make up for this deficit.

Some of the more interesting discussions revolved around what it's like for a male OB/GYN to focus his attention "down there" all the time and those conversations with significant others or friends that emerge, or the awkward silence that comes after telling others what one does for a living.

Also, panelists touched on the role of becoming sensitized to women. I suppose if you are a male and you see female patients all day, there is a possibility that the novelty of the female body wears off.

But that's where you learn to keep professional life separate from clinical life.

Overall, an interesting panel. Hopefully, the panelists were able to reach out to this "special man."