The idea of having children and parenting during medical training is daunting. However, due to the length of medical, residency and fellowship training, it can also be challenging to delay starting a family until after training is completed.
See their family photos in our slide show.
To give you more insight, we compiled some great perspectives from three young ophthalmologists who had children during different stages of training: Fran Wu, MD, a pediatric ophthalmologist practicing in Libya; Alison Early, MD, a comprehensive ophthalmologist in Ohio; and Brad Henriksen, MD, a pediatric ophthalmologist in Utah.
At what point during training did you have children?
Dr. Wu: My first child was born right at the beginning of my MPH year (fourth year of medical school), and my second child was born during my intern year, three months before I moved to my ophthalmology residency program.
Dr. Early: My first child was born in March of my PGY-4 year, when my husband was living one and a half hours away and in his first year of practice as an orthopedic surgeon! Twenty months later, we welcomed our second child. During my second pregnancy, I was in my first year of practice and also passed my written and oral board exams to become board certified! Our third child, another girl, was born 21 months after that while I was in my third year of practice.
Dr. Henriksen: We had our first child during my second year of medical school. Our second child was born during my intern year, and our third child was born in the middle of my PGY-4 year.
What effect did this have on you during training?
Dr. Wu: The MPH year was flexible, and fortunately most classes were available online. But it was still a challenge. When my son was almost a year old, I was doing residency interviews. I gave up on my original goal of one year without formula because pumping [milk] while traveling around the country proved too challenging.
Dr. Early: Since I was nearly at the end of my training, it did not have a significant impact on my learning or clinical experience. I did have to make up several of the weeks I took off for my (short) maternity leave, so I caught up on my surgery numbers by the time I finished. On my first Mother’s Day, I was on call and had to leave in the morning to do a ruptured globe repair. It was hard at the time, but we got through it!
Dr. Henriksen: With our first child during medical school, I received a total of two days off to be with my spouse and new baby. It was difficult with a premature infant and having to balance time outside of class between the NICU and studying. My intern year program granted me one week of paternity leave. My wife delivered in the hospital where I was working, which made it easier for me to come to the birth!
How was having a child handled by your training program with time off, call coverage, surgical training, etc.?
Dr. Wu: My internship program had a four-week quality improvement project rotation, during which we were not required to be in the hospital. They arranged this particular rotation to start around my due date with my second child, and I also tacked on two weeks of vacation for the year to the end of this rotation, giving me six weeks of time [off] after the baby was born. They gave me the option of taking more time off, but I would have had to delay finishing the year and delay starting ophthalmology residency, so I decided against it.
Dr. Early: My child was born in 2018, which was before the ACGME [Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education] policy changed to allow all residents six weeks of parental leave without penalty. I did take six weeks off but had to make up three of them in July, so I didn’t finish at the same time as my classmates. I’m so happy that current and future residents don’t have to do the same thing! Six weeks after a traumatic delivery is not enough time. We routinely ask patients to “take it easy” for extended periods of time after much more minor surgeries, yet for some reason we don’t look at childbirth in the same way.
Dr. Henriksen: During residency I worked closely with my program director to plan my rotation schedule so that my highest volume surgical rotations would not coincide with the expected delivery date of our child. Fortunately, even with a preterm delivery, this worked out, and I was able to finish residency without any concern for surgical numbers.
What challenges did you face as a parent during residency and fellowship training?
Dr. Wu: When I first entered ophthalmology residency, I was the only female in the program with children. Even though my program was very supportive, I did not want to seem like I was asking for favors for having a toddler and infant at home. Having an infant had its unique challenges: Figuring out where and when to pump in the middle of clinic and during long call weekends was tricky. Waking up to feed an infant every night in addition to having an exhausting call schedule was tough.
Dr. Early: My circumstances were challenging in determining when to start trying for a baby. I remember having a conversation with my husband at the beginning of my PGY-2 year that we felt ready. But very soon after I realized I had SO much to learn and was going to be extremely busy for the next three years. We also knew we were going to have some time spent living apart due to our respective training, so we ultimately deferred [having a baby] at that time. We were very fortunate that I easily got pregnant about two years later when we decided we were ready for real.
Dr. Henriksen: I think one the biggest challenges with parenting during training is managing time. I had to come to an understanding that I would not be present for all of the special moments in my young child’s early years. There were weeks and sometimes months when a true balance of family and work life was not realistic. I did my best to be present whenever possible by getting up early to study or work on notes, seeing consults over lunch hour or working later in the evenings after bedtimes.
How did you handle childcare during training?
Dr. Wu: My husband has always worked full time, and we did not live near family for most of training, so finding good childcare always seemed like a miracle. Our best childcare arrangement was a combination of both daycare and a part-time nanny who would pick the kids up from daycare and continue caring for them into the evening.
Dr. Early: Grandmas! Both of our moms were overjoyed to watch our little guy for the last few months of my residency training. They alternated weeks and took great care of him. We did know ahead of time that this would be an option for us, which definitely helped weigh in favor of starting our family when we did.
Dr. Henriksen: We lived near family during medical school and internship, so grandparents played a big role. During residency my wife decreased her work to part time, and we relied on a close network of friends from church and our community to help with childcare.
Any advice you have for residents or fellows considering having children during training?
Dr. Wu: If having children is important to you, don’t put it off for the sake of your career. There is rarely a convenient time to have children. In describing the hardships of parenting during training, I didn’t talk enough about the great joy I have in my children and what a gift they are to me. The struggle is real, but it’s worth it.
Dr. Early: Don’t wait! Female physician infertility rates are dramatically higher than those of the general population. There are ways to make it work. Connecting with other professional women and physicians through social media has been an incredible support system. Hearing stories of women a generation before me, and how they navigated a system that was much less friendly to motherhood, is incredibly moving to me.
Dr. Henriksen: Don’t be afraid to start a family during training — while it is challenging, it is also very rewarding!
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Alison D. Early, MD, is a cataract and refractive surgeon at the Cincinnati Eye Institute in Cincinnati. Fran L. Wu, MD, is a pediatric ophthalmologist practicing in Libya. Bradley S. Henriksen, MD, is a pediatric ophthalmologist at the Excel Eye Center in Provo, Utah. He joined the YO Info editorial board in 2022.
Family Photos