title: Obstetrics in general practice. A rural perspective.
abstract: Obstetrics is one of the most demanding yet rewarding disciplines required of rural general practice although rising medical indemnity fees combined with medico-legal interest in this discipline make the current rural generalist obstetricians a threatened species. These factors, plus the difficulty generalist registrars have in obtaining good procedural training in this specialist field make obstetric practice less than attractive for future rural general practitioners. This article provides a brief overview of rural obstetric practice from the perspective of a rural generalist obstetrician with 18 years experience. Case studies are used to highlight the challenges of this field.
authors.affiliation: Miles Health Service, Brisbane, Queensland.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Gillett
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia; D001946:Breech Presentation; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007744:Obstetric Labor Complications; D009774:Obstetrics / Q000592:standards; D011247:Pregnancy; D011295:Prenatal Care; D012423:Rural Health; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal