Women physicians find ways to make "part time" work

The trend toward fewer hours is gaining momentum as men join in.

By Myrle Croasdale, AMNews staff. Nov. 15, 2004.

Erin Tracy, MD, MPH, works full time in a large ob-gyn group. If she could afford it, she'd love to cut back. Several of her colleagues already have. As a young physician active in the American Medical Association's Women Physicians Congress, Dr. Tracy has a strong sense of what is happening among her peers.

"There is a great interest among a lot of people of my generation to work less hours, to spend more time with family, but figuring that out is difficult," Dr. Tracy said.

Pediatrician Paul Stricker, MD, agrees. A specialist in sports medicine for kids at Scripps Clinic, a large multispecialty group in San Diego County, he just started working part time two weeks ago, after a year of negotiations with his employer.

"I feel very relieved," Dr. Stricker said. "Now I'm going to be able to use my time in both worlds."

One world is his clinical work; the other covers a range of professional and personal pursuits, including being actively involved in several sports medicine societies and writing a book on kids in sports.

Arrangements such as Dr. Stricker's are likely to become more commonplace as the upcoming generation of physicians moves into practice. Women began the trend of flexible medical careers, and more young physicians, men and women alike, are likely to follow suit in the quest for more balance in work and life.

There aren't yet a lot of resources to help physicians attain this practice mode, but organized medicine is in the process of filling the gap. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the AMA's Women Physicians Congress, in particular, have begun collecting data and compiling resources on the issue. Leaders in academic medicine say there's a move under way to encourage more medical schools to offer part-time tenure tracks. In the meantime, physicians rely on a network of those who have gone before them for guidance.