Email of the Day: We Chose Family-Friendly Careers

I once heard a teenager ask your advice about choosing a career that would “balance” family life. I considered becoming a physician, but changed my major to speech pathology instead. I met and married a man who was in medical school while I was in grad school, and we worked hard to make ends meet and support each other. We waited five years until we had children, because we both knew that I needed to be home full-time, and he needed to be done with the insane rigors of residency.

We’ve been married for more than 15 years and have three kids. My husband is an ER physician and only works the overnight shift, which allows him to be home every night, and for every after-school activity and for the kids’ bedtime. This shift and this specialty were conscious decisions we made for our family.

I’ve often heard you say you would never marry a physician, but I married the right man who chose a specialty where he can put his family first while still providing an amazing life for us. High school and college girls are told they can have it all and rarely think about how their careers will impact their families. I have had many friends ask me how I could waste my education on being a stay-at-home mom. My answer has always been: “I AM working, but I only have three kids on my caseload!”

Nicole

We Chose Family-Friendly Careers