Family Medicine Obstetrics (FM-OB) is a subspecialty within family medicine where physicians provide comprehensive care that includes prenatal, labor and delivery, postpartum, and newborn care, in addition to the full spectrum of family medicine services.
Job Overview
Physicians trained in FM-OB are family doctors with additional training or focus in obstetrics, allowing them to:
- Care for pregnant patients throughout their pregnancy.
- Deliver babies (vaginally and sometimes via cesarean section, depending on training).
- Provide postpartum care for both parent and infant.
- Continue caring for the entire family across all life stages.
Key Responsibilities
- Provide prenatal care: monitor fetal development, manage pregnancy-related issues, and educate expectant parents.
- Perform deliveries: including vaginal births, sometimes assisted deliveries, and possibly C-sections if they've had surgical training.
- Offer postpartum care: addressing both physical and emotional needs.
- Manage newborn care: from immediate post-birth assessments to ongoing pediatric care.
- Maintain continuity of care: often caring for the patient before, during, and after pregnancy-plus their other family members.
Training Path
- Medical school (4 years)
- Family medicine residency (3 years)
- Some may do an OB fellowship (1 year) for more extensive obstetrics and surgical training.
Work Schedule: On site Monday through Friday 8:30am - 5:00pm