Back to Work
Physicians can return from maternity leave in a reduced role, but they very rarely drop out of medicine entirely, Dr. Marks says.
“[They] have put in a lot of time to get where they are,” she says. “Plus, women in medicine are usually high achievers and very interested in their careers.”
Yet hospitalist leaders should recognize that returning to work after having a baby is stressful. It will take some time for the returning hospitalist to develop a rhythm between her duties as a mother and a doctor.
Directors can review the hospitalist’s nonclinical roles, help with priorities, and perhaps reassign some of the responsibilities to colleagues, Dr. Marks says. With more women breastfeeding, it is important to provide a convenient space with a door that locks for women to breast-pump at work, she and the other directors say.
“The best thing in the world is to have colleagues that you trust and can rely on,” Dr. Lovins says. “That way, people can help each other out in emergencies, like if someone has to take their kid to the doctor. That’s the kind of program I want to have and would want to be part of.”
Lisa Ryan is a freelance writer based in New Jersey.