Obstetrics and gynecology is one of the less attractive specialties open to new doctors. Experts claim that high malpractice insurance premiums are scaring residents away and putting current doctors out of business.

So it was heartwarming to read about Dr. Ronika Choudhary of Connecticut who not only had an unconventional career path – she took three years out of her residency training to have children – but who is also providing healthcare to one of India’s poorest states.

She said she liked the ob-gyn specialty because it allowed her to guide women from young womanhood to motherhood and into their later years. “It’s a wonderful field, because you get to see women’s lives change so dramatically,” she said.

Choudhary particularly liked the idea of being a female ob-gyn because many women prefer talking to another woman. “As women get older, they don’t feel comfortable talking about their sex lives with a male physician,” she said. “They don’t feel comfortable discussing decreasing libido, menopause or even PMS.”

With all the talk of healthcare IT, finances, and shortages, it’s nice to be reminded that patients are at the heart of healthcare.

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