ORLANDO, Fla. – During Women’s History Month, we highlight an OB-GYN dedicated to caring for women.
Dr. Megan Gray spends day and night delivering babies at Orlando Health Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies. She took time during a recent busy 12-hour-shift to talk reflect on her career and what the path to becoming a physician was like for her.
“It’s fun to care for women and educate women and empower women about their health,” Dr. Gray said.
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While her initial plan was to specialize in orthopedics, Dr. Gray said she made a quick pivot after delivering a baby on the OB-GYN rotation.
“It was their first child, and everybody in the room was crying and I was like wow, this is incredible,” Dr. Gray said.
She talked about the years of medical school and residency, saying the steps to becoming a physician are challenging for everyone.
“I feel like women historically have had a harder time accessing care, and getting the right care, so it’s nice to see a ton of women entering the field and caring for each other,” Dr. Gray said.
In fact, the majority of OB-GYNs are now women, but it wasn’t always that way. In 1970, only 7% of them were women, now, it’s more like 60%. Dr. Gray said it wasn’t until she was looking for a job that she noticed mothers face a different kind of pressure.
“I’m of childbearing years, so I think the idea that I could go out because I could get pregnant and not be able to fulfill my duties for a period of time was more of a detractor when I was looking for jobs, than maybe a male counterpart,” Dr. Gray said.
After eight years at Winnie Palmer Hospital, Dr. Gray’s work to coach women goes beyond the hospital, as a mother and author of the “Forgotten Trimester: Navigating Self Care after Birth.” She also interacts with followers on social media about motherhood and postpartum life.
You can find Dr. Gray on Instagram @ForgottenTrimester.