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OB GYN interview questions and how to answer them

An OB GYN interview is less about whether you know the medicine and more about whether the partners trust you alone on labor and delivery at night. Your training and boards got you in the room. What they're testing now is judgment, how you treat nurses and patients under pressure, and whether you'll pull your weight on call.

12 questions7 minute read

Part 1

1.Walk us through how you run a postpartum hemorrhage on the unit.

Why they ask

It's the emergency every OB GYN faces, and they want to hear whether you think in a clear sequence and use the team instead of freezing or going solo.

How to answer

  • Start with recognizing it early: quantitative blood loss, not eyeballing pads
  • Call for help out loud and name who you pull in: charge nurse, anesthesia, the hemorrhage cart, blood bank
  • Follow your unit's stage-based protocol and say you'd escalate on a set trigger, not a gut feeling
  • Mention when you'd move to the OR and who you'd call for backup
  • Close with the debrief and how you'd review the case afterward

2.Tell us about a delivery that went badly and what you did afterward.

Why they ask

Bad outcomes happen to everyone. They want to see honesty, how you talked to the family, and whether you learn from it or get defensive.

How to answer

  • Pick a real case and describe it plainly without blaming the nurse or the resident before you
  • Say how you disclosed what happened to the patient and family
  • Explain how the case went through peer review or a morbidity and mortality conference
  • Name one specific thing you now do differently

3.A nurse is worried about a fetal heart tracing and you aren't. What do you do?

Why they ask

Nurses on labor and delivery often catch trouble first. Partners want to know you'll come to the bedside and take the concern seriously, not dismiss it over the phone.

How to answer

  • Go look at the tracing and the patient yourself, even at night
  • Walk through your read of it with the nurse using shared category language
  • Agree on a plan and a clear time to reassess
  • Say you'd welcome the nurse calling again or escalating to the chain of command if they still disagree
4.How do you counsel a patient who wants a trial of labor after a previous cesarean?

Why they ask

TOLAC counseling shows how you share decisions, explain risk in plain words and respect what the hospital can safely support.

How to answer

  • Start with what the patient wants and why
  • Review her history and the factors that make a vaginal birth more or less likely
  • Explain the tradeoffs plainly and document the conversation
  • Mention checking that the hospital has the anesthesia and OR coverage to support it
5.What's your comfort level with laparoscopic and robotic gynecologic surgery?

Why they ask

Surgical volume and skill set drive a lot of a group's referrals. They want an honest picture so they can match you to cases and plan proctoring if needed.

How to answer

  • Name the procedures you do independently, such as laparoscopic hysterectomy or myomectomy
  • Be honest about what you'd want proctored at first
  • Mention your console experience if the hospital has a surgical robot
  • Say what kind of surgical practice you want to build

Part 2

6.How do you handle a patient who declines something you recommend, like a cesarean?

Why they ask

Informed refusal is common on the unit, and the way you handle it shows respect for autonomy plus your sense of documentation and safety.

How to answer

  • Make sure the patient understands the recommendation and the reasons behind it
  • Ask what's driving the refusal and address fears you can actually address
  • Respect the decision, keep offering care and keep the door open
  • Document the conversation carefully and loop in your partner or ethics if needed
7.What call schedule do you want, and how do you handle nights?

Why they ask

Call fairness is the thing that breaks groups apart. They're checking that your expectations match theirs before they invest in you.

How to answer

  • Say plainly what you're hoping for and what you can flex on
  • Ask how they handle post-call days and holidays
  • Show you know how you work after a hard night and how you keep safe
  • Make clear you'll take your fair share
8.How do you work with midwives, residents and nurses on the unit?

Why they ask

Most labor and delivery units run on teams. A doctor who doesn't share the floor well causes turnover and safety problems.

How to answer

  • Give an example of backing up a midwife on a complication without taking over the relationship
  • Explain how you teach residents while still owning the patient
  • Mention something concrete, like running a huddle at shift change
  • Say how you handle disagreement in the moment and afterward
9.How do you keep up with ACOG guidance and changes in practice?

Why they ask

Obstetric guidance shifts, and groups want partners who update their practice rather than doing things the way they learned them in residency forever.

How to answer

  • Name the sources you actually read, such as ACOG committee opinions and practice bulletins
  • Give one example of a change you made to how you practice
  • Mention journal clubs, grand rounds or conferences you attend
10.How do you keep your clinic running on time and your charting done?

Why they ask

A clinic that runs late and notes that pile up in Epic hurt patients, staff and billing. They want to know you can handle volume.

How to answer

  • Describe how you prep the day's schedule and use templates or smart phrases
  • Explain how you handle a visit that runs long without wrecking the rest of the day
  • Say when you finish notes and how you avoid pajama time
  • Mention working well with your medical assistant

Part 3

11.Why this group and this town?

Why they ask

Recruiting an OB GYN is expensive, and they want someone who'll stay. Family ties or a real reason to be in the area matter to them.

How to answer

  • Give a specific reason tied to the community or the practice
  • Mention something you learned about the group's patients or services
  • Say what you want your practice to look like down the road
12.Tell us about a conflict with a colleague and how it ended.

Why they ask

Partners share patients, call and money. They want someone who handles friction directly and privately.

How to answer

  • Pick a real but proportionate example
  • Explain how you raised it privately rather than in front of the team
  • Share the outcome and what you'd repeat

Questions to ask them

Ask at least two. It shows you're picking them too.

  • How is call split, and how are holidays and post-call days handled?
  • What does the labor and delivery unit have for anesthesia and OR coverage overnight?
  • How is productivity pay calculated, and how long before new partners reach it?
  • What does the path to partnership look like, and who made partner most recently?
  • What made the last OB GYN who left the group decide to go?