Gynecology

Gynecology deals with the diagnosis, detection, treatment, and prevention of diseases of the female sexual and reproductive system. This also includes the treatment of female breast diseases and related preventive examinations. Furthermore, specialists in this field are responsible for monitoring pregnancies as well as planning, implementing, and following up on birth control treatments.

Incidentally, in no other field is it so evident that medicine is becoming increasingly female. The majority of specialist visits in gynecology and obstetrics are performed by female doctors: in 2018, they were 83 percent. In no other field is the percentage of women higher.

A gynecologist is often someone with whom patients develop a particularly trusting relationship. After all, it's in the nature of this field that particularly intimate topics are often discussed: patients include, among others, young women who still feel insecure about their pubescent bodies, pregnant women with questions about pregnancy and childbirth, and menopausal women seeking medical support in this new phase of life. A gynecologist often accompanies their patients throughout their lives, just like a family doctor. And because many women regularly visit the gynecologist's office for preventive checkups, they often visit their gynecologist more frequently than other doctors who are only seen when they are ill.

The training period in gynecology lasts 60 months with a person authorised to provide continuing education at a training centre in accordance with paragraph 5, paragraph 1, sentence 1, of which: 6 months may be credited in another area; up to 12 months may be credited in specialist training courses in the area; up to 24 months may be accrued/credited in an outpatient setting; 80 hours of training in accordance with § 4, paragraph 8 in basic psychosomatic care.

A point of contact for all aspects of family planning. Specialists in this field often support their patients with questions that touch on their private lives to a greater extent than in other fields of medicine. They are the go-to person for all questions related to family planning: on the one hand, advice on preventing unwanted pregnancies, on the other, they also offer the exact opposite: fertility treatment for women who cannot get pregnant naturally. When dealing with these topics, gynecologists require a great deal of sensitivity and empathy—after all, their work often touches on areas that are highly emotional for patients.

The field of gynecology gives spaces for three local points:

1. Focus on gynecological endocrinology and reproductive medicine. Members of the Chamber who have completed the elective specialization in gynecological endocrinology and reproductive medicine are entitled to use the specialty title of gynecological endocrinology and reproductive medicine.

2. Gynecological oncology:

36 months for a person authorised to provide continuing education at a training centre in accordance with paragraph 5 paragraph 1 sentence 1, of which: up to 12 months may be completed during specialist training. 6 months may be credited in internal medicine and haematology and oncology. 6 months must be served in an outpatient setting.

3. Special obstetrics and perinatal medicine:

36 months for a person authorised to provide continuing education at a training centre in accordance with paragraph 5 paragraph 1 sentence 1, of which: 6 months of continuing education in human genetics or neonatology may be credited during specialist training up to 12 months may be completed up to 12 months may be accrued/credited in an outpatient setting

Depending on their professional qualifications, additional services offered, continuing education, and region, medical assistants in the fields of gynecology and obstetrics earn a gross annual income of between €59,000 and €76,000. This corresponds to a gross monthly gynecological salary of approximately €4,900 to €6,300. As a senior gynecologist, the monthly salary increases from €96,000 to €112,000 (gross). Supplements for night, shift, and alternating work increase a gynecologist's salary, sometimes significantly. The head physician of a gynecology clinic is paid outside of the collective bargaining agreement.

If you're looking to earn more as a gynecologist, you can complete additional training, such as specialized training in gynecological endocrinology and reproductive medicine. This additional qualification can have a positive impact on your gynecologist's salary.