Explain a pregnancy ultrasound
Look at the ultrasound images alongside the chart, then tell the patient what they mean for the pregnancy.
Career profile
Obstetrician-Gynecologist
Obstetrician-gynecologists are doctors who treat reproductive conditions and care for patients through pregnancy and birth.
Your days range from discussing menopause symptoms to performing surgery. It suits people who like explaining options to patients as much as making medical calls.
A day in the life
Sort out pelvic pain
Ask about the pelvic pain, examine the patient and compare test results before you suggest any treatment.
Deliver by cesarean when needed
If your practice handles births, you track labor and perform a cesarean when one is needed.
Revisit a treatment plan
At a follow-up, ask what has changed, and if symptoms linger, revisit the chart and rethink treatment.
Quick facts
Medical degree + residency
United States
$292,910/year
United States · May 2025
1.7% projected growth
United States · 2025–2035
Quick orientation
Preparation, pay & outlook
Preparation
Medical degree + residencyA professional medical degree is followed by specialty training in obstetrics and gynecology.
Pay
$292,910/yearNational median employee wage; the hourly equivalent is $140.82.
Outlook
1.7% projected growthAbout 500 openings per year are projected nationally for obstetricians and gynecologists.
Fit, tradeoffs & changing tools
You might like this if…
- You can listen without rushing a sensitive conversation.
- You enjoy connecting symptoms with evidence.
- You want both patient relationships and hands-on procedures.
Things to weigh
- Hospital coverage can mean overnight shifts and calls that interrupt personal plans.
- You work very close to patients, face infection exposure, and make decisions with serious consequences.
Where AI may help
Electronic health records help you retrieve and share patient information. Artificial intelligence tools may also assist with ultrasound image analysis and paperwork.
What people still lead
You still need to connect a tool's output with the patient's symptoms, explain options, and make clinical decisions with the patient.
What we can’t predict yet
How much image review or documentation software will take over remains unsettled. Reliability and the amount of checking required will shape whether it actually saves you time.
Pay in context
Earnings
These are employee wages, not the income of self-employed practice owners.
The national midpoint
The median was $292,910 a year, equivalent to $140.82 an hour. Half of employed obstetricians and gynecologists earned more and half earned less.
A wide spread
The 10th-percentile wage was $94,680 and the 90th-percentile wage was $437,300 annually. These are positions in the national wage distribution, not starting and senior salaries. Location and job responsibilities can affect an offer.
Openings beyond growth
Employment is projected to grow 1.7% from 2025 to 2035, with about 500 openings annually on average. Openings include replacement needs as well as employment growth.
Getting started
Earn a medical degree
- What the route involves
- Complete undergraduate preparation, then medical school, usually another four years. Study medicine and rotate through patient care to earn a Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) degree.
- What it can lead to
- Either degree can lead to an obstetrics and gynecology residency; you must apply and secure a place.
Train in specialty residency
- What the route involves
- Spend four years learning office care, childbirth care, and surgery with experienced physicians. Responsibility increases as your skills develop.
- What it can lead to
- Completion provides specialty preparation and, with the other eligibility requirements met, access to the specialty qualifying examination.
- What to check
- For licensure, your state medical board checks medical education, postgraduate training, and passage of national licensing examinations. Its specific requirements control your application.
The usual route has two consecutive training steps: medical school, then specialty residency. You also need a state medical license to practice independently.
After entry
Career paths
This starts where the entry routes leave off: early work, growing capability, and advancement or specialization. This path also has a credential or licensing boundary; see the requirements and limits.
Get established
Build reliable habits for following up results and consulting colleagues about difficult cases.
Deepen your skills
Use case discussions and surgical simulation to work on difficult decisions and procedures.
Choose a specialty focus
Pursue fellowship training in maternal-fetal medicine for complicated pregnancies or gynecologic oncology for reproductive cancers. Subspecialty certification adds its own requirements and examinations.
Where you can work
Outpatient clinic
Repeat visits let you follow symptoms and treatment over time. Office examinations and procedures shape the day, though your job may also include hospital coverage.
- Indoors
- Office
Teaching and referral hospital
Complex pregnancies and surgical cases bring you together with other specialists. You may teach residents while working in the birth unit or operating room; birth coverage includes nights.
- Indoors
- Shift work
- Safety-sensitive
Try it
See whether the job clicks before you commit to the path.
Imagine a patient at a first prenatal visit who is worried about an ultrasound. Write three questions that would help you understand their concerns, then practice explaining why a doctor considers both images and medical history. Notice whether careful listening interests you as much as the scan.
Stay safe: Use a fictional situation; do not interpret a real person's scan or offer medical advice.
Sources
- O*NET OnLine. Obstetricians and Gynecologists — 29-1218.00. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Physicians and Surgeons — Occupational Outlook Handbook. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, national estimates — SOC 29-1218. Accessed 2026-09-29.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Employment Projections, Table 1.2, 2025–2035 — SOC 29-1218. Accessed 2026-09-29.
- Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science. Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency (Minnesota): Curriculum. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- Mayo Clinic. Obstetrics and Gynecology: Overview. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Health IT and Clinical Informatics. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Specialty Qualifying Examination: Eligibility Requirements. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Specialty Certification: Overview. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Specialty Certifying Examination: Eligibility Requirements. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Subspecialty Qualifying Examination: Eligibility Requirements. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- Federation of State Medical Boards. About Physician Licensure. Accessed 2026-10-09.