Being Both a Physician-Scientist and A Mom
- Dr. Karolina Woroniecka
- Nov 15, 2020
- 3 min read
Updated: Feb 25, 2021
This post contains affiliate links. SheMD will make a commission at no extra cost to you should you click the link and make a purchase. Read our disclosure for more info.
I am a pathology resident, a research scientist, and a tutor for the USMLE exams. Most importantly, though, I am a mom. I have two kids, and want a few more. For some reason, stirring a huge pot of stew and roasting three chickens at a time to feed a crowd of hungry teenagers and their friends is my idea of a good time. Sure, when I was in college, I liked going out. But now, my idea of a great night out is catching fireflies in the backyard.
I had my kids during my research time. I was 9 months pregnant when I passed my prelim exam, and 3 months postpartum when I defended my PhD. Amazingly, I finished my PhD in 4 years (while the rest of my MD/PhD classmates took 5 or more years) and was first-author on over 5 papers in high impact-factor journals. You might think that I was slaving away in the lab and never saw my kids. In fact, most days I would be in lab for just a few hours in the morning. Certainly, some days were long and I did come in on some weekends to keep experiments running. But the amazing thing about research is that the schedule is entirely up to you, which is a stark contrast to nearly all clinical specialties, where shift work is common. When I came back to the wards for my fourth year, and found myself in the ED working shifts, I found myself wishing I was back in the lab. When I am at work, I like to work, and otherwise, I like to be home with my kids. Sitting around at work with nothing to do drove me crazy.
While it is certainly difficult to balance research responsibilities during residency, I find whatever time I have to further my research investigations. In order to get that “dream job” with the ideal mix of clinical and research responsibilities, you’ve got to prove you can do it. Many residencies have dedicated research time, which many residents look forward to as a “break” from residency training. What many don’t realize, though, is that research takes time. Writing, editing, applying for grants, actually doing the experiments, analyzing the data, putting together the publication… all of this is unlikely to happen over the course of just a year (depending on the complexity of the study, this can even take a decade!). However, even though it’s a slow process, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you are in the lab 24-7 continuously writing grants while running experiments (although, for some graduate students I know, this was indeed the case). What it does mean is that you have to start early and start small - take on projects you can deal with, and dedicate a little time each day to moving things along. Most importantly, patience is key (which moms have plenty of).
The flexibility of research also allows me to pursue my other interest - teaching. As a tutor for the USMLE exams with Elite Medical Prep, I work with students from all over the world who are studying for the USMLE exams. Teaching allows me to build my skills at scientific communication, while research and pathology training broaden my perspective on medical and scientific methods. Most importantly, seeing my students succeed in their dreams of pursuing medicine makes me proud, just like when I see my son or daughter learn a new word or skill that I taught them.
I've been trying to stay current on this subject and this recent post made that significantly easier. Everything I needed was here in one place, written clearly and in the right order. The author doesn't just report what's happening — they give you enough context to understand why it matters. That's the difference between content that informs and content that just fills space. I shared it with a small group I'm part of and it sparked a useful follow-up conversation. Really glad I found it.
This post does something that a lot of content in this space fails to do — it actually helps you explore more rather than just covering the same familiar ground in a slightly different way. The writing here is precise and the structure reflects genuine care about the reader's experience. I came away more capable than I arrived and that's a high bar to clear. The author acknowledged complexity where it exists rather than glossing over it. Worth every minute spent here.
I was skeptical going in because the subject is one where a lot of content overpromises. Reading the full article changed that skepticism into genuine appreciation. The writing is honest about what it knows and what it doesn't and that epistemic honesty makes the confident claims land harder and more credibly. I found several ideas here that I'm still working through days after reading and that staying power is the real test of quality. Already pointed several people toward it. Excellent work.
The internet is full of content, but only a small percentage is truly memorable. This interesting post belongs in that category. The author managed to make the subject approachable while still providing meaningful insights. I found several sections particularly thought-provoking. The article sparked my curiosity and motivated me to continue learning about the topic. Great content like this is always appreciated. Thank you for sharing your expertise.
I've been building up a reading list on this subject and added this after someone told me to open the post before going further with my research. It has more than earned its place on that list. The depth here is appropriate, the tone is measured, and nothing feels recycled from other sources. The writing reflects genuine thought about the subject from someone who clearly understands it well. I found it equally useful as a reference and as an actual read from beginning to end. Solid work throughout.