New grad labor and delivery residencies
Labor and delivery is one of the hardest units to start on as a new graduate. Many hospitals fill it from inside, so a residency that offers an L&D track is the main way in, and knowing when those rounds open matters more here than almost anywhere.
What the first year looks like
- L&D tracks cover fetal monitoring, labor support, recovery and emergencies such as hemorrhage, often with a certification course in fetal heart monitoring during the first year.
How to stand out
- An obstetrics capstone is the strongest signal. If yours was elsewhere, name every L&D, mother-baby or NICU shift you had in clinicals.
- Doula work, birth-center volunteering or lactation training belongs on your resume.
- Apply to mother-baby and postpartum residencies as well. They are a common route into L&D.
Keep reading
- When residency applications openMost rounds are open for about a week.
- Resume and interview tipsWhat to put first, and the questions to practise.
- RN pay by stateMedian and 25th percentile pay in every state.