Hello all MomMD's
I am very interested in discussing people's subjective experiences as part time practicing physicians. Is it possible to work PT in a way that is equitable, and to be as well respected as a full time partner physician? I have the impression (from my personal experience as well as that of others I have known) that we still have a long way to go in making part time doctorhood a valued and acceptable choice. I sometimes feel like I am alone in forging this career path.

Have to say that I unfortunately just gave notice to terminate my contract with my current job because of issues with trying to go part time. We do have a long way to go, especially when the biggest roadblocks were the females in my practice who "didn't want to know that I was home with my kids while they were at work". I was attempting a equal job share position which is probably the most equitable from a group standard but still not always so easy to pass.

Most importantly, stick to your path, you are not alone. I am forging the path of opening my own practice as a job share with another female interested in part time. We will have to share full time call but on a much lower volume of patients:)

Good luck to you! I have wanted to have my own practice for many years now! It is so frustrating, to have been practicing for so many years and yet have no say in how the place runs. I am just not sure, though, if starting my own practice will be even MORE work and headaches. My husband is a practice owner and I see what he goes through. But, he does have the absolute flexibility, more than I do actually. I have a little dream of having my own little practice, with a couple employees. Someday I will do this. Maybe I just need to get frustrated enough with my current job first!
Wishing you the best!

kpzr, I am a pediatrician (also in MA) who has always practiced part-time since residency. I have always been in fairly small practices at rural or semi-rural community hospitals so I don't think I've had as much of the lack of respect for being part-time as you have described (we are all thought of as country-bumpkins by our tertiary-care colleagues). I have had problems however with feeling like I am carrying the same load, just doing it in three days in the office instead of four. I recently resigned from my job (will finish up in January) to start a job as a hospitalist in March. I feel like I need to be home more for my kids - especially the afterschool time frame. Also, I feel somewhat burned out by the office. It seems like the people who need primary care support the most don't want it, and the people who don't really need it are always at the doctor! Also, the psych issues have exploded as a primary part of general pediatrics and I feel like a horrible person and doctor for saying this but I just don't like dealing with those issues. I feel undertrained and worry about over-medicating our children. (this is a major digression from your topic - sorry!). Anyway, I am going to try my hand at hospitalist work - I have always enjoyed the inpatient work and newborn stabilization at my small community hospital jobs - to see if I can achieve a more managable life-work balance. I plan to work two shifts per week. Since I currently work days and also often have to go back to hospital at night and on weekends, I am hoping that I will be able to handle night and/or weekend shifts!

Hi, funny I read this message after posting my own part time frustrations. Safe to say this is a common problem. Since women outnumber men in medical school I'm hoping this will help change the physician job front. Work flexibility is important as we work hard as physicians (with the US population becoming increasingly unhealthy) and work hard raising our families.
I think it's terrible that coworkers can pressure you into feeling like you're inadequate. I have alsp felt this in my work situation. Too bad so many physicians aren't not more accepting of other people's decisions to spend more time with family as a way of prioritizing our lives.

Yes, just the way it is, I guess. I personally do not feel that being an excellent physician and making my family my number one priority are mutually exclusive. Too bad that others do not feel the same way. I think that there is a degree of envy involved, other physicians feel burned out or overworked.

Kpzr-I have worked part time ever since the birth of my second child (I have three). I currently feel like I have the best possible situation for what I would like to practice-I work in the office about 22 hours per week and teach 4 hours per week for a total of 26 hours. We are paid for 32 hours full time so I am considered 81% time. Of course, I do full call which means 1:4 weekends and 1 night per week of call, with an occasional rotating night of phone only call as well. I am off on Mondays, work 8:30-3 on Tuesdays (in time to meet the bus), 8:30-5 on Weds/friday, and teach 1-4 on Thursday afternoons. Call is very light-I usually don't have to go in thanks to the hospitalists, except for deliveries, I do 12-15 per year, but sometimes those happen during the day as well.

Everyone in my practice works part time-we have 3 docs and 3 midlevels. Even the nurses are part time. Our CEO has 6 kids so he is very understanding and promotes families. We all cover for each other and make family events priorities-i.e. if a partner has a family event we make sure they are not on call. I feel that my work is valued and that I am well respected. That being said, I look at this as a job for now, not a 'career'-I am not doing any career advancement-just working to keep skills and pay the bills! I can't see myself doing this forever.....it is easy, but sometimes boring! But truthfully I need low stress and boring right now-home life with 3 kids 6 and under is busy enough!

I worked hard to make this job happen-I was very upfront when i interviewed about what I needed, and what my home responsibilities were. So you are not alone!

Well I think you really can't have it all, unfortunately. I have worked part time for 12 years in different types of situations. I also have 3 children. Here are a few thoughts:
1. In two situations, I was in a traditional setting with full-time physicians, and while I knew I was pulling more than my weight (full call, for example), I know I didn't have the respect I would have had if I was full time, especially from the female physicians who were working full time.
2. I decided to make my family a priority, so I am now on the "downward career ladder." I went from full spectrum FP with OB to urgent care, which I am doing now. So that says it all, I guess.
3. I love my hourly urgent care job and wouldn't go back to trying to do full time family practice part-time, if you know what I mean.
4. Kids need you more as they get older, not less, so I expect this situation to last until college or retirmement, whichever come first.
5.

I agree with everything you said, LisaFP! I too have realized that I have compromised my career advancement due to my decision to work PT. I am not a partner, initially because it was denied to me as a PT physician (I think they were hoping this would "tease" into wanting to work FT - haha) but also because I really can't afford the buy in on a half time salary PLUS I decided I really did not want the extra work OR stress. I like the term "downward career ladder"! One day, I feel at peace and happy with my situation then the next I am frustrated at having no say in how the place runs, especially since I am certainly capable of it! I feel like I work harder than the FT physicians in my group to "prove" myself. Generally I think I am respected but there is something different - hard to describe - maybe I just feel different than the others.
Interestingly, as my kids get older, I have cut back more at work. I thought I would be working more as they get older. Perhaps when they go to college I will work more - probably need to in order to pay those college bills!

hi,
i've been in private practice since graduating residency for the past 4 years and am in my 2nd job. my first job didn't work out because the practice wanted all full time physicians. this 2nd job is slightly better because they hired me part-time but i still feel stressed only being in the office 2 and half days per week. i have 2 small kids and would never consider full time ever again but i am constantly wondering what my longevity in the field of primary care will be for several reasons that others may be able to shed light on:
1) when i'm not in the office PAs/NPs see my patients and sometimes their medical management is slightly off and i feel more apt to get named in a malpractice suit
2) lab results and patient calls keep trickle-ing in even when i'm not in the office and so patient care in general still feels like a full time job i'm cramming into 4 clinic sessions (assuming full time is 8 sessions with 1 day off)
3) productivity--> i really can't stay past 2 or 3 because i've made it a personal goal to be around for my kids after school etc, i work one late day until 8 because a family member is available all day but other than that i'm not willing to sacrafice after school time with my children for work. unfortunately the busiest time for a primary care practice is often after school hours so i constantly feel pressured to add more hours that i don't want to add. we would never consider having my husband cut his work day because he makes 3 times my salary so that makes no sense.

should i just quit while i'm ahead? at the end of the month i make 500 dollars because my paycheck goes towards daycare. if i quit now will i want to re-enter the workplace when my kids are in school or will i want to be around more than ever? i considered helping out in wkend urgent care clinics at various institutions but they always want you to get your own malpractice and the pay never adds up.

i don't expect any answers to my disgruntlement with part time medicine but i sure am glad to have a forum to seek advice/encouragement/ideas

sahm-doc, the short answer is that if you stop working altogether, it will be much harder to go back later. Here are the reasons I can think of: 1) re-entry is not a well-defined process and it is harder to find a job after a hiatus; 2) your family will become accustomed to you doing *everything* for them and will be resistant to your going back to work; 3) as you step down the career ladder, your husband will be better able to step up the career ladder, the salary discrepancy will become even greater, and you become the obvious one who has to sacrifice her career (which has already happened); and 4) the longer you are out, the more confidence you will lose in your ability to practice medicine.

Unless you know for sure that you never want to work as a doctor again, it is much better professionally to keep your foot in the door and keep working part-time. Maybe there is some way to adjust your practice so that your concerns above are addressed (why aren't those mid-levels being supervised?). If you do quit and decide later to go back, it can still be done, but it is just harder.

Good luck!

thank you for the advice!!! all good points for me to consider. yes i think all the providers are having a problem with the mid-levels and since i just joined the practice it took me a little while to figure out that they don't necessarily do a great job. it definitely needs to be addressed and i guess i felt kind of embarrassed bringing it up because i work the least number of hours. i really shouldn't care what other people think though!

btw,this website is amazing. my physician husband tries to be so supportive and understanding but i felt he just didn't 'get it' like other physician mothers would. i'm so glad i found this site!

Hi!
I owned my own practice AND transitioned to semi-part-time (25-30 weekly hours) for 2-3 years. That was the best move that I made in my practice career.

I did an overhaul of my administrative procedures and streamlined the communications and front desk operations, and hired some additional admin support in India.

My patient load actually increased after I made these changes because the service, support and communications improved once I wasn't working 60 hours each week.

The main challenge is meeting overheads when you own the practice AND work semi-part time. I sold my practice and am a professional medical writer now. When I return to private practice, I'll probably look to practice with 1 or 2 other women who are all part time. That way, we feel an equal sense of partnership and responsibility, and share similar priorities.

Hope this helps!
Devi
www.prescribinginformation.com

It really depends on your specialty. If you're in family medicine or pediatrics, you'll probably find it easier to recruit other part-time physicians so that you can split shifts.

Working part-time certainly has it's challenges, especially when you need to pay for child-care and carry your own malpractice insurance. I am taking a break from private practice as a medical writer, but when I started my own business and was able to work part time hours after some time, I was much happier. My profits were a bit less but I was ever so much happier! So I encourage you to look for and see all of your positives! The change in focus may help you to feel better and open you up to seeing even greater possibilities.

-Devi

hi lisaFP,
of the few posts i've come across this (excellent) website yours stick out to me because i feel i'm on the same track as you in terms of finding happiness in perhaps going from part time primary care to 1 urgent care day a week.

i'm very unhappy in primary care for so many reasons. i thought cutting back to 3 days per week would make me happier but it's not. i prefer quick "sick" visits over continuity etc. my kids are toddlers and i envision i'll want to be around them more not less when they are school age. i prefer to make the move to urgent care now rather than later if i think it'll improve my overall mental health! wages don't concern me because i make nothing working part-time as it is. the only reason i don't quit all together is because
a) it's the only "me" time i get in a week and i believe it forces my husband to split house/child care duties with me because i "work"
b) i'd hate to not use my MD at all after all my hard work and c) just want to keep a foot in the door in case i want to work more when older

any drawbacks to your move to 1 day a week urgent care? i'm a pediatrician and finding that type of gig may be harder but if you are truly happier in your situation working 1 day a week with more time/energy for your 3 kids then i'm totally looking into it!

I am trying to get a job part-time because we need the money (I have been out of work for a little over a year now and have a 3 yr old and a 1 yr old), and not because I want to go back to work. Bottom-line I used to work like a dog and am now trying to get part-time outpatient only but negotiating with hospitals to make it far pay is very confusing. Anyone out there have any experience with RVU pay scale? Feel free to PM me to discuss even more candidly!