In the last several years since becoming a mom-physician, I've been transitioning from almost never/rarely doing appointments/errands during worktime (and leaving my job late), to regularly doing them during worktime because there is no real "organized' time once I get home (and leaving the job on time), to, now with my last baby, leaving early whenever my work is done, staying on pager, because it means so much to my kids (and me) and, in my case (since I've dropped some of my job-related extracurriculars), relatively little to my job to do this. I don't have a precedent for this here, however, although I've noted recently that some of the male physicians leave to go running or work out at an on-site gym. Another momMD in practice fulltime who I see at the school described a similar experience, saying it's important to pick up her kids from school at least a couple of times a week, so she can touch base with the teachers. She talked about the earlier male physicians from her practice, feeling somewhat badly for the long hours they worked in the past, but talked about changing times, saying she's carrying the same workload as her current partners even with her routines. I'll also say that it seems OK for now to do a "good' job at work, instead of an "excellent' job. Do others have similar experience?

Yes Ehyn,
It is all a matter of priorities. I agree, family comes first...gone are the days of being "married" to your job as a physician. Balance is the key. I see nothing wrong from expecting key quality of life issues. When we die, we wont be saying I wish I could have double-booked more patients.

Guess I'd like to encourage women to challenge the usual workday system. It would seem to important for working moms into the future, to allow flexibility so that one can meet the needs of family/children - taking children to pediatric appointments, showing up for the class parties or at least bringing the party supplies, picking them up at school sometimes to take them to an activity or just to be present while they play on the playground with the other kids...

And on the other hand, I've noticed that there's another way to do one's job - there seems to be a more minimal way to participate in staff meetings for example.

Some of the men, actually, in the private practice group of orthopods have started cutting their days up a bit more to make time for the same sorts of things. One in particular goes for runs with his wife and babies (in the big stroller) from the Ortho Center parking lot. The same guy now takes one less clinic day in the week in order to spend more time with his growing family. I think the older guys in the group weren't too happy, but as you said the times are changing. Hopefully they won't stop doing so.

I only work Tues-Fri so I have Mondays to do appointments and meet friends for lunch. This seems to be the only way I can keep up with friends. It also covers us for sick child care since my husband has clinic on Mondays so it's the one day he can't cover if someone gets sick.