Although it would be great if everyone could simply desire a baby and then conceive one, unfortunately life is not always that simple. Sometimes couples have challenges with trying to get pregnant and that’s where professionals such as reproductive endocrinologists come in. For those of you who may not have ever heard of that term before, it’s oftentimes interchangeable with the phrase “infertility specialist”. These are highly-trained individuals who are able to provide counsel and care specifically to women who have a variety of fertility issues.

If this is something that piques your interest and you would like some information on how to become a reproductive endocrinologist, we have a few steps to get you well on your way below:

Get your undergraduate degree. There’s no way around the fact that if you’re serious about taking this particular kind of career path, you are going to need a significant amount of education starting with graduating with an undergraduate degree in biology, chemistry or a related field.

Attend medical school. Once you have your degree, the next thing you’ll need to do is pass the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) so that you can get into medical school. After you have graduated from it, then it will be time to do a residency and training, followed by a fellowship.

Get into an OB/GYN residency program (and then do a fellowship). After medical school, you will then need to apply for a residency and training program that focuses on Obstetrics and Gynecology. This is also a program that lasts for four years. Once you complete that, you will be required to do a three-year fellowship in reproductive endocrinology. The purpose of the fellowship is to gain knowledge in things like vitro fertilization, sonography and ovulation induction, among other topics related to reproduction. Aside from working in hospitals or doctors’ offices, you might want to look into laboratories, clinical research and perhaps even something like the California Cryobank as well. However, it is important to keep in mind that fellowships in this particular field tend to be highly competitive and are awarded to those who are considered to be the top in their class.

Pass the boards. Now that you have 11 years of schooling (after college) under your belt, you are finally ready to pass the boards. These are exams that will get you the certification that you need in obstetrics and gynecology so that you can become board certified to work as a professional reproductive endocrinologist.

Apply for a job. Once you have all of the necessary credentials, you can apply for a job. Although the name of the profession sounds a bit complex, the reality is that you can go to virtually any job search engine, put “reproductive endocrinologist” in the search field and available jobs throughout the country will come up. While that is one way to look for a position in the field, don’t forget to also speak with the medical school that you attended along with those who assisted you in your residency and fellowship; oftentimes they have leads that may not be “advertised”. Again, this is a highly-competitive industry, but with the right education and credentials and some determination, you can live out your dream of helping couples to conceive. And that’s a pretty awesome job to have.