Women's Health Advisors features Ob/Gyn physicians and medical professionals that have volunteered their time in support of the women's Health Forum. The doctors and other professionals spend countless hours each week answering health questions posted to the forum. We thought you might want to learn a little more about these folks.
Harvey S. Marchbein, M.D.
OBGYN.net: Please share with us the story of how and why you decided to enter the field of Ob/Gyn.
Dr. Marchbein: My first recollection of wanting to deliver babies was at age 8. It seemed like more fun than anything else I could think of. I knew nothing about medicine. I knew no obstetricians. The only close medical relative I had (and still have) is my uncle, a cardiologist par excellence. From him, I learned one of my most valuable lessons about medicine. While I was in medical school, he said, "Many people will instruct you and provide opportunities for you to learn medicine and achieve excellence. There is no way you can truly repay these people, be they physicians or patients. What you can do, however, is help others as you have been helped. That is your obligation, your duty and an immense honor." The way I practice medicine is, I believe, a reflection of what he said. I remember a conversation with him about medicine in general. What he said, and I whole-heartedly subscribe to, is the following: "There is no other profession like medicine. No other field of endeavor gives you the satisfaction that caring for patients does." In medical school, I was informed that obstetricians also practiced gynecology, of which I initially knew nothing, but learned to love in residency. While in practice, the most rewarding things have been the ability to care for people before, during and after their pregnancies. What makes ob-gyn so great is the continuity of care........taking care of three generations in one family, delivering their children and grandchildren and being a confidant to many who would otherwise have no one to speak to..........kinda of like a "Marcus Welby" of ob-gyn. This field allows me to do medicine, surgery, psychiatry, dermatology, pediatrics, counselling,and of course, ob-gyn. What could possibly be better?
OBGYN.net: How long have you been in practice and what is the community you serve like?
Dr. Marchbein: I have been in a ob-gyn group practice nearly 18 years. Our private practice is in a suburb of New York City. We have privileges at two tertiary care medical centers nearby. (Without traffic, NYC is 30-40 minutes. With traffic, don't ask!)
OBGYN.net: What are your particular areas of expertise and interest?
Dr. Marchbein: During residency, I contemplated fellowships in reproductive endocrinology and maternal fetal medicine. I have great interest in both these areas but chose general ob-gyn as the best avenue for my abilities. I have increased levels of proficiency and great interest in the following areas: operative laparoscopy and hysteroscopy; colposcopy and treatment of the cervical abnormalities; and vaginal sonography and sonohysterography.
OBGYN.net: What is the most rewarding part of being a doctor for you?
Dr. Marchbein: This is all part of my response to the first question. I can't separate how and why I decided to go into ob-gyn from what is the most rewarding part of being a doctor. Essentially, it's being given the gift to help others.
OBGYN.net: Why did you choose to get involved in the Women's Health Forum?
Dr. Marchbein: I have long had an interest in computers and my interest has grown with computer's capabilities. I joined the OB-GYN-L (the "physicians" forum) several months ago, just prior to it becoming an integral part of the web site at OBGYN.net. I enjoy the exchange of information and points of view from superb physicians (and women's health care providers) all around the country and the world. Where else can you present a unique, rare or puzzling medical case and have twenty or more well documented opinions in 24 hours or less? The Women's Health Forum allows those of us on the physician's (read: physician/caregiver) forum who have the inclination, to donate some of our time (not spent in the office, OR, delivery room or in transit to them). To give back. As in the answer to question #1, this is the only way I can repay those before me. (BTW, an appropriate time for a special note of thanks for the email friendships I've developed with Roberta, Barbara, Kelly, Garry and others on the OBGYN.net.)
OBGYN.net: How do you foresee the Internet and OBGYN.net can better serve Womens Health Care?
Dr. Marchbein: How can there be anything better than OBGYN.net and the Women's Health Forum?
First, let me say, that the comraderie on the physician's (actually medical professionals) list is truly unbelievable (and I thank Geff Klein for starting it. BTW Geff, thanks for the disclaimer at the bottom of the signatures for the Women's Forum. I borrowed it from you and many have borrowed it from me.) The help, support, education, humor and need to analyze "facts" have made the group an essential part of my day. For all of us on the list, women's health care is advanced by this sort of peer discussion.
Second, let me address the Internet as a whole. Some of the medical information that can be gotten at various web sites may be inaccurate and dangerous (recently noted by the American Medical Association). I am concerned that people will substitute generalized information on a topic for actual medical information about their specific problem. It's O.K. to gain information to be an informed consumer and deal in an intelligent fashion with your physician/caregiver, but don't accept it as you would a consultation, one-on-one, with a professional.
Third, I pray for the continued health and future success of the Macintosh (I don't want to learn Windoze in the worst way!)
OBGYN.net: Is there anthing else you'd like to add?
Dr. Marchbein: Yes. The most important part of me, as a physician and me, as a person is my wife of nearly 24 glorious years, Gail. We were married after my second year in medical school, with no time to see each other and no money (we were paying for medical school and graduate school with loans and scholarship). 24 years (and three college-aged children) later, we have more time together (my computer is in the bedroom or I'd never see her ;-) ) but all of our money is going to colleges (now it's the kids). I wouldn't have it any other way. A thread in the OB-GYN-L related to whether we would encourage or discourage our children from going into medicine. Due to the massive changes cause by managed care, the majority opinion was that medicine was getting to be too much aggravation and too little medicine, to the detriment of physicians and patients alike. The consensus was to not encourage them. Well, I'm proud to say that all of my children are interested in service to the public and one is premed. I could not be more pleased with their choices.
Two final points.
#1 Health is the most important thing. With it, you have everything and without it, nothing means anything.
#2 It's better to be lucky than to be smart. Even smart people can have an off day!
Harvel the Marvel
Harvey S. Marchbein, M.D. FACOG, FACS
President, Nassau Obstetrical and Gynecological Society, Inc.
OBGYN.net U.S. Representative, New York
http://www.obgyn.net/states/bios/marchbein.htm
Private practice, Long Island, N.Y.