In some states, there aren't enough doctors to go around.

Where Have All the Doctors Gone?

Finding and keeping an ob-gyn is becoming harder and more complicated for many women. In the past five years, more and more doctors who care for pregnant women have retired early, moved out of state, or simply dropped the practice of delivering babies from their list of services.

Is this a crisis? That depends on where you live. In some states, the drop-off in ob numbers is a minor inconvenience, requiring some additional research and hassle.

Malpractice Insurance is Costly

All doctors must carry malpractice insurance, and the more a class of doctor is likely to get sued, the higher the cost of insurance.

The average ob-gyn can expect to get sued 2.5 times in his or her career. Only neurosurgeons get sued more often. As a result, malpractice insurance for ob-gyns has always been pricey.

Crazy Schedules Are an Issue

Surprisingly, though, the uncertain financial picture was not the biggest downside medical students cited about the specialty. Instead, lifestyle issues topped the list of reasons they might avoid going into ob-gyn. "Long, irregular hours," "very demanding," "too much time away from family," and "stressful" were among their comments.

Medical malpractice costs were number two on the list. Clearly, the next generation of doctors seems to be more worried about burnout than lawsuits.

What's Being Done to Address These Problems?

ACOG maintains that medical liability reform is the answer. The organization has been lobbying Congress to place a $250,000 cap on punitive damages in medical malpractice lawsuits.

Meanwhile, the medical industry is taking baby steps toward resolving its lifestyle issues. For example, Dr. Frishman says he has noticed a new type of ob-gyn practice emerging -- one that offers physicians the option of working part-time. This modern arrangement will help keep doctors with young families in the ob-gyn fold, he says.