Balancing It All: Women and Medicine (Young Feminists‪)‬

As a female physician-to-be, I know that I will face some tough decisions. Medicine is a competitive and demanding field that requires unwavering devotion and constant sacrifices. On the one hand, I want to be a top-notch clinician who puts her patients first; on the other hand, I want to be a mother who plays an active role in raising her children. Although many women have navigated this territory, it remains challenging because of the tremendous pressure and time demands on women working in medicine, particularly in the competitive, male-dominated specialties like surgery and cardiology. For women like me who want both a medical career and children, the options are limited. I expect to be at least 30 before I finish my medical training. During the four years of medical school, there is precious little time to have children and doing so requires diligent planning and preparation. Medical students usually have the summer after their first year off, and this is the best time to have a child without the risk of dropping out. The second year is more intense than the first and culminates in the first exam for the boards (which helps determine residents' fates). Since the third year consists of an intense series of clinical rotations that begin immediately after completion of the second year, it's a terrible time to try to have a baby. The next viable opportunity doesn't really present itself until Spring of the fourth, and last, year of medical school. By then, students have completed their residency interviews and required electives and there is more flexibility with schedules, and even a few weeks of vacation time.