Your OB/GYN rotation is one of the most hands-on, emotionally impactful, and fast-paced experiences you’ll have during PA school. Whether you’re assisting in a clinic, jumping into surgeries, or witnessing the incredible moment a new life enters the world, this rotation will challenge you to think quickly, communicate compassionately, and stay adaptable. It’s also a specialty packed with procedures, high-volume clinics, and unpredictable schedules—making preparation and mindset key.
To help you feel confident from day one, I’m sharing what my OB/GYN rotations were really like during PA school, along with the tips, tools, and strategies that helped me succeed in both inpatient and outpatient settings!
My OB/GYN Rotation Experience in PA School
Out of all the rotations in PA school, OB/GYN was the one I was the MOST excited about. Call it cliché, but delivering a baby was on my lifetime bucket list!
Luckily, I had plenty of opportunities when it came to OB/GYN in PA school. My program had a traditional outpatient OB/GYN rotation, plus an inpatient elective rotation with a doctor who performed vaginal deliveries, C-sections, and gynecological surgeries.
I requested the elective from basically day one of PA school, and was able to do it. This meant I had a total of 12 weeks in OB/GYN!
All told, I had the opportunity to deliver six babies. It was an amazing time, and I had plenty of experiences that I’ll always cherish.
My OB/GYN Rotation Experience: Inpatient
A Day in the Life of My Inpatient OB/GYN Rotation
Although this rotation was mostly in-patient, there was still clinic time. We would go to the OR three days a week for gynecologic surgeries and scheduled C-sections. We had two or three days a week there, but we were also on call for any moms who’d be delivering.
When we had an OR day, we’d start around 6 or 7 a.m. I’d arrive 30 minutes early and get changed into hospital scrubs and put my belongings in the lockers. Then, I’d text my surgeon and meet up with him in the doctors’ lounge to touch base and get ready for the day.
If we had a gynecologic surgery, I’d help by either holding the camera for the laparoscopic portions or hold retractors if it was an open procedure. My surgeon would usually let me close as well, which was great suture practice.
We typically did two or three surgeries a day, each lasting a couple of hours. We’d also take lunch at the hospital, round on our post-op patients, take ER consults, and check on laboring mothers while we were there.
In the clinic, we’d do all the regular OB/GYN appointments including checking dilation, performing Pap smears, IUD insertions, Nexplanon insertions, and birth control counseling.
We’d also see the patients post-op from gynecologic surgeries and vaginal/C-section deliveries.
My preceptor had a PA who worked with him and I was able to spend some days with her, so I could see what the PA’s role was in the clinic. In my state, PAs don’t perform deliveries because there are so many OB/GYNs and midwives that we essentially aren’t needed. If this wasn’t the case, I probably would be an OB PA!
5 Tips for an Inpatient OB/GYN Rotation
Based on the experiences I had during my inpatient OB/GYN rotation, I recommend the following:
1. Always be ready to GO!
My preceptor knew how excited I was and he would text me to see if I wanted to come in for a delivery even if it was before or after our shift. This was totally optional but I would go as often as I could!
2. Find the hospital scrubs and locker room ASAP.
This helped prevent a delay in getting to the delivery room/OR when it was go time!
3. Bring snacks in your bag.
If you think you have lunch plans, think again. Babies like to pop out during breakfast, lunch, dinner, etc.
4. If possible, join the nursing team during the delivery process.
My preceptor would show up when it was actually time to deliver the baby. I wanted to see what was happening before that. We all know there are a LOT of steps that come before that. I’d ask to go in and help with the labor process. This allowed me to see more of what happened during labor and gave me some time to bond with the patients. I made them a lot more comfortable during delivery and oftentimes it was me catching the baby!
5. Babies are very slippery, so be sure to hold them properly!
If you’re lucky enough to be the one catching the new arrival, you’ll need to have a firm yet gentle grip on the back of the baby’s head/neck. Watch closely where your preceptor places their hands and attempt to replicate that exactly. My preceptor would actually stand with me and place his hands over mine for the first several deliveries I performed.
My OB/GYN Rotation Experience: Outpatient
A Day in the Life of My Outpatient OB/GYN Rotation
For this rotation, I was in a rural area and we worked with a very underserved population. This meant we would try to do as much as we could in each appointment, since there were a lot of barriers to care for the patients.
We would see OB patients essentially up until delivery, and there were a lot of gynecology appointments. I did over 100 Pap smears/pelvic exams on this rotation! It was a great opportunity to learn and help council women on women’s health topics.
We did a lot of STI testing/treatments, birth control counseling, postpartum depression assessment, UTIs, and fetal heart checks. We also did in-office ultrasound and healthy diet counseling for patients.
The clinic was open Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., so the hours were pretty typical. I saw around 20-25 patients per day with my preceptor.
5 Tips for an Outpatient OB/GYN Rotation
1. You’ll do lots of Pap smears.
You’ll become a pro at Pap smears. The more you do the more confident you’ll feel. In the beginning, the best thing to do is to observe your preceptor and then have the patient relax as much as possible, talk them through everything you’re doing, and ensure you close the speculum BEFORE you try to take it out.
2. Use warm lubricant for the speculum.
Do this whenever possible!
3. Warn patients before opening the speculum.
The clicking sound can be alarming, so be sure to give them a heads up.
4. Prepare all your specimen cups before you start the procedure.
It’s always good to try and decrease how long you have to be in there.
5. Always use terms like “healthy” when describing a normal genital or breast exam.
Trust me, it’s less awkward than other terms like “good,” “great,” or even “normal.”
What to Bring to Your PA School OB/GYN Rotation
Based on my experience, I’d say it’s good to come with the following:
- A cheat sheet on fetal monitor changes and what they may represent (remember the VEAL CHOP acronym).
- The pregnancy wheel—I used this for estimating due dates a LOT!
- A chart (I made my own) that indicates all the standard QB visits and what you’ll be checking during each visit. For example, the glucose tolerance test is always 24-28 weeks, and the GBS test is 36 weeks.
- MD Calc, which has a “Pregnancy Due Dates Calculator” that’s helpful.
- The red OB book, Comprehensive Handbook: Obstetrics and Gynecology. It’s a bit extensive, but it can still be helpful if you like using written reference books!
The Best OB/GYN EOR Study Strategies
When it comes to study materials for your end-of-rotation exam, we all have our own preferences and you have to go with what works for you!
I recommend using the Blueprint PA Women’s Health Rotation Qbankwhich has high-yield questions that resemble the ones you’ll see on your actual exam. (You can also get a Rotation Qbank Bundle for all of your EORs!)
As far as studying for the exam itself, I’d recommend you:
- Make charts comparing things like the different types of vaginitis or the different gynecologic cancers and their tumor markers.
- Make a chart detailing the screening recommendations for things like Pap smears and mammograms.
- Consider a flowchart with Pap smear results and what the next steps are based on age.
Final Thoughts
OB/GYN is an amazing rotation and it’s so important and relevant no matter which PA specialty you end up choosing after graduation! If you get the opportunity to deliver a baby, consider yourself truly lucky to be the first to hold a new life brought into this world.
Best of luck on your PA journey and be sure to reach out if you need further assistance!
For more (free!) tips on how to succeed during your PA clinical rotations, check out these other posts on the Blueprint PA blog:
