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Original poster

Why Do men become gynocologists?

237 replies

Blankiefan · 02/12/2019 07:33

I have to have some treatment and all of the gynocologists I can pick from are men. I don't trust male gynocologists (no bad history just bias). It'd help me to understand good reasons why some men choose this specialism.

As I see it, I have an ear so I can understand what it's like when someone pokes their finger in it. I get the experience of having an ear and have an interest in furthering medicine into it. Buy why are male doctors interested in women's genitals? Is it some deep respect for their mothers? A peculiar interest in otherness? I don't see the motivation.

I entirely accept on an intellectual level that most of them aren't in it for kicks and that being elbow deep in hoo hoo all day isn't erotic but I really don't get what motivation got them there.

Does anyone have any insight?

OP posts:
8misskitty8 · 02/12/2019 08:43

When Dh had his vasectomy it was preformed by a woman, assisted by a woman and there was also a row of students watching it being performed who were all woman.

Why did they all go into this field ?

I presume because they find it interesting or while training found that it was the area that they worked best at and therefore could make a real medical difference .

KenDodd · 02/12/2019 08:44

I had a Male friend in the US who was a gynaecologist. I asked him this question, he said just because there's more money in it.

Addsverisimilitude · 02/12/2019 08:45

(and they are surgeons. Hence being called Mr or Ms).

Greenglassteacup · 02/12/2019 08:45

You can’t spell the specialism you’re posting about OP

DistanceCall · 02/12/2019 08:47

For the same reason that women become specialists in prostate cancer. Because they find it interesting and rewarding.

isabellerossignol · 02/12/2019 08:49

Because it's complex and interesting. And you get to do surgery.

soph7777 · 02/12/2019 08:50

Sorry OP but as others have suggested I do find your viewpoint slightly childish.

You are implying they are perverts just out to look at womens vaginas and I don't think that's the case at all. If it was I think there would be easier ways to do it lol

They are helping people and that's all there is to it I believe (for the majority of them anyway)

Spacebowlisback · 02/12/2019 08:51

You probably don’t want to watch Bodies...

Original poster
Blankiefan · 02/12/2019 08:52

Thanks for the informed and understanding answers to my question.

OP posts:
Afternooninthepark · 02/12/2019 08:55

I have been under gynae for the last 4/5 years and seem to end up seeing a different gynaecologist each time! Although most are very kind and professional I do have to say that, IME, the few female gynaecologists I have seen have been so, so much more empathetic and understanding, in fact the last one so much so that I have requested to see her each time from now on. I too, OP, don’t quite understand why so many men are gynaecologists but I think its simply due to the fact that still, in 2019 there are more men than women with consultant status, hopefully that will change in the future 🤞

EssentialHummus · 02/12/2019 08:56

FWIW OP, when I was a lawyer I specialised in aviation finance (mortgages and similar on airplanes). What I actually wanted to do was human rights. Sometimes what's available / suitable / feasible location wise / practically a better fit for you leads to these sorts of outcomes. I imagine there are easier ways for a person to get inappropriate sexual kicks than a decade plus of med school.

Podiatrists are the ones I'm always surprised by personally Grin.

JumpingOnTheBed · 02/12/2019 09:00

The fact you asked this just showed you need to lead a more open minded lifestyle. There are countless reasons why which thankfully you now know from other posters Confused

HuloBeraal · 02/12/2019 09:01

DH briefly considered it. He found the research aspect fascinating. Enjoyed delivering babies. (Also as the mother of two kids both of whom would have died in labour and one of whom was resuscitated after birth and spent time in NICU as he was born on the cusp of viability let’s not down play what doctors do- they literally saved the lives of my two kids and I had two high risk C sections, the second of which required a neonatal team and vascular surgeons in the room). The ONLY time I struggled with a male OB-GYN was when he asked me how much I was bleeding, how many mls/teaspoons and I said, I have not got a clue but it’s like the last day or so of my period and the poor man looked a bit confused. (Also admittedly different people bleed differently on their last day). And the female midwife stepped in and said, ok so maybe less than a teaspoon of blood.
(They were recording my blood loss constantly over a 7 week period).

Both my children were delivered by all male teams actually although the second was then looked after by an all female neonatology team!

Marylou2 · 02/12/2019 09:03

Many reasons I imagine. Thinking of the wonderful Dr who investigated our infertility and his fabulous colleague who worked tirelessly to help produce our longed for child. So glad they chose Gynaecology!

Boireannachlaidir · 02/12/2019 09:04

This truly has to be one of the silliest questions asked on here?

CosmoK · 02/12/2019 09:04

The thing is you don't need to understand why they chose that profession you only need to know if they are good at their job.

SeasonalVag · 02/12/2019 09:13

I never understand why anybody would want to become a dentist

Nobody ever wants to see you
Rotting teeth are grim to deal with, I imagine...
Etc
Etc

MellowMelly · 02/12/2019 09:14

I actually asked my male gynaecologist (whilst he was performing a LLETZ procedure on me) why he had chosen gynaecology and he told me that he was recommended to go for that job as ‘he had a keen eye for intricacy and a steady hand’. He was the best gynaecologist I’ve had.

SchadenfreudePersonified · 02/12/2019 09:16

In contrast the female doctor was cold, uncaring and told me all women go through it and I just had to get on with it.

I have had this experience, too. The lost unfeeling and unsympathetic doctor in our GP's practice was a woman (she's retired now, thank God). She had no sympathy for women's ailments at all.

However, she liked men, and a good friend of mine used to get very upset when she would pretty much ignore what Friend had gone in about, and instead would say blithely "And how's that lovely husband of yours?"

Friend would reply "We're separated". Dr would say "Oh yes! I forgot - he left you didn't he? That's why you're on anti-depressants."

This happened several times and got to the stage that Friend would rather struggle through some quite unpleasant illnesses rather than have an appointment with her if she was the only one available.

However, doctor wasn't like this because she was a woman - it was because she was a twat. Being a twat is not exclusive to either sex or any gender, race, colour, creed or ability. It is very much an equal-opportunity thing.

SchadenfreudePersonified · 02/12/2019 09:17

*most unfeeling, not lost

dogsdinnerlady · 02/12/2019 09:19

To suggest someone who spends years qualifying as a doctor then specialises in gynae did it because they are 'interested in women's genitals' is laughable and sexist.

Passthecherrycoke · 02/12/2019 09:21

Read an entire article about this in the gynae waiting room once 🤣

  • the patients are usually otherwise healthy so easier to treat
  • they like babies
  • many said woman were better patients- less macho (one compared it to a man he treated in A&E who said his wife had forced him to come because she was worried he was having a heart attack. Do you think you’re having a. Heart attack? Oh no I’m alright. The man was having a heart attack) they said ask a woman what’s wrong and generally, they just tell you)
  • Predominantly treating pregnancy and hysterectomies- relatively unchallenging
  • not as emotionally difficult as other areas- patients rarely die
Olliephaunt4eyes · 02/12/2019 09:22

I asked a friend who is a male gynaecologist and he said that when he was doing rotations in the early stages of his career, the gynae one had the supervisor/mentor (can't remember the word he used) that he liked the most.

He now also likes the variety of his work, getting more "good" outcomes than a lot of branches of medicine, being there for the positive moments. But he mostly went into it originally because he had a good early experience there and thought "why not?"

CroissantsAtDawn · 02/12/2019 09:23

The gynae who delivered my DS2 adores babies. Whenever I go to see him he loves seeing photos of DS growing up.

I had a rare complication post-birth that he'd never seen in over 30 years of practice (mainly because you end up in A&E with it, whereas I got referred via a different route so he was in the loop) and he was fascinated by it and asked if I could let him scan me just out of interest to see what was going on in there. He's lovely.

CabbagePatchKids · 02/12/2019 09:23

I haven't RTFT but you should read This Is Going To Hurt. It's the diary of a Dr who ends up specialising in Obs and Gyne.
(He's now a comedian and it's a really funny book!)

I found it fascinating and really appreciated why a male might want to specialise in this area.