Her answers have been edited and condensed for clarity.
SELF: First of all, how are you doing?
Work is a little stressful.
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The office is much more controlled than the hospital.
We know our patients.
We know how to screen for them.
All of that is much easier.
Being on labor and delivery is different because that is very acute work.
Its very much hands-on.
Andthe policies change often.
How has your day-to-day changed since the beginning of this pandemic?
We used to have several doctors in the office at one time all seeing patients.
Now we have split up into two teams and each team comes in every other day.
Also, our practice is applying for thePaycheck Protection Programloan because we are a small business.
I volunteered to do anesthesia and tointubate patientsif necessary, but I havent done so yet.
At the beginning of this, did you ever think the practice would be applying for a loan?
No, not at all, but things have changed.
Think of all the medical practices that arent going to be able to sustain themselves.
People like your ophthalmologist, your dentistthings that dont require immediate care.
Its still a business.
There have been stories about how health care professionals dont have adequate supplies.
Has that been your experience?
We have to reuse our N95 masks.
The face masks we used to use and throw away, we are reusing now as well.
They also gave us this fanny pack that can hold supplies like ourhand sanitizer.
What we wear depends on whether we are going into the operating room.
Ob-gyn is intimate, not inappropriately intimate, but its a lot of compassionate care.
There are congratulations, or sometimes it can be very sad.
We hug our patients.
There is a lot of nonverbal communication.
Also, the N95 masks are so hot and uncomfortable.
It takes work to breathe.
Are you scared at all?
Or have you found that you just have to push those feelings aside?
Is there anything you feel you are lacking to do your job well right now?
The one thing I think is lacking is enough information about COVID-19 and pregnancy.
We dont have any real data.
What steps do you take to stay safe when you leave the hospital?
I wipe down my I.D.
I wipe my steering wheel and console down.
I shower while the clothes are washing.
I feel like I have to shower all the time.
Has the pandemic made you rethink your role as an ob-gyn at all?
Ive always wanted to take care of women and be an advocate for womens health.
I feel like thats what God put me here to do.
Its a privilege for all doctors to take care of other people.
What advice would you give people right now?
Take the necessary precautions.
If you dont, know that you are putting vulnerable people in jeopardy.
Have you been able to find any bright spots amid the COVID-19 pandemic?
There are tons of bright spots.
At the office, every day we’ve had somebodypatients and friendsbring us food.
One of my patients made us chocolate chip cookies the other day.
Another one of my friends sent us lunch.
Does that make you feel loved?
It makes us feel appreciated.
