Women doctors share professional success secrets
ANNE MARIE MATTINGLY
News Editor
Where there is a will, there will be a way for female physicians of the 21st century, said five women doctors at a panel discussion Tuesday.
"If it's something you love, then it's always going to be possible, because you want to do it," said Dr. Madeline Lewis, a family practice physician at
Memorial Hospital who believes that mission, vision and passion are the keys to a successful career. "If you don't see the option out there that you want, you can make it."
But despite their optimism, these female physicians admitted that it's tough to make it alone.
"Make sure it's what you want and that you have faith in yourself. You really have to believe you want to do this," said Dr. Jody Wiseman, a family practice resident. "You need people to be there for you and to make it known when you need people."
Dr. Ellyn Stecker, who has been in a private solo family practice for 18 years, noted that a woman doctor's boyfriend or husband in particular must be supportive.
"Having a flexible partner is crucial," she said. That flexibility, together with innovation, is what will help female physicians to successfully manage the delicate balance between their practices and personal lives, said the panelists. This balance is particularly important for women who hope to raise children while continuing to work.
"You have to work within the system," said Dr. Rebecca Moskwinski, who works at Notre Dame's department of health services. Moskwinski said that her position in college health, which allows her to work during the academic year but not during the summer, is just one of many possibilities for female physicians who want to have a family.
Lewis urged female pre-medical students to consider taking time off as a viable option even if doing so will delay taking board examinations.
"Do what you think is the best thing for you," she said. "Sometimes you have to make your own way."
Stecker said that the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), which took effect in 1993, has helped female physicians do just that. The FMLA provides 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave for mothers and fathers upon the birth or adoption of a child. But FMLA isn't a perfect solution, said Lewis.
"It's really great on paper. You have a legal right," she said. "[But] sometimes you have to work for that right."
And according to Wiseman, employers‚ efforts to protect their own interests are an issue not only when a female physician becomes pregnant, but sometimes before she is even offered a job.
"They look at you as a woman interviewing and expect you to want to work part-time," she said, noting that employers are often surprised to hear that she prefers full-time employment. Wiseman also said that when she tells and interviewer of her preference, that person often assumes she want to work full-time only temporarily and asks for how long she intends to do so.
Ultimately, success as both mother and doctor will depend on a woman's ability to accept and adapt to unexpected circumstances, said Moskwinski, who described herself as "a real career person" prior to the birth of her first child during her residency.
"I'll take six weeks off and I'll be right back to work," she said of her expectations at the time. Instead, she gave birth to twins and had to take four months of leave.
"Things don't always work out the way you plan," she said. "You have to make do."
All News Stories for Wednesday, February 28, 2001
