Career Guide and Work/Life Balance

The practice of medicine can be very rewarding. Physicians are respected members of the community who can take pride in their ability to contribute to society by helping prevent illness and by treating people when they are sick. Opportunities in medicine are plentiful and there are many different directions a person can take with the same background training. Physicians usually enjoy a great degree of job security and earn a good living.

This guide is presented from a woman’s perspective and is intended to help high school and college women who are interested in a career as a physician. Although every experience is unique, there are some shared aspects that we have tried to capture to aid interested women in proceeding in an informed way. We have attempted to answer questions you may have regarding medicine and show you the road that you need to take to be successful in achieving your goal.

• Women In Medicine: Then and Now
• Is Medicine The Career For Me?
• What Courses Should I Take?
• How Do I Choose A College?
• Allopathic and Osteopathic Schools
• Career Development: Choosing A Specialty
• Creating a Work – Life Balance Plan
• Negotiating A Flexible Work Arrangement With Your Employer
• Building Mentoring Relationships: How To Improve Yourself Through Mentoring
• Steps to Success: Obstetrics/Gynecology
• Online Resources- Balancing Work/Family

Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements: Dr. Bernice Cohen Sachs, Jackie Nichols, MPH, Dr. Farzanna Haffizulla, Dr. Michele Bloch, Dr. Leah J. Dickstein, Dr. Roselyn Payne Epps, Dr. Roselyn D. Epps, Marie Glanz, Tameka Pyles, Lisa Schlitzhas, and Dr. Jane van Dis

We gratefully acknowledge Janet Bickel for her permission to use excerpts from her book, Women in Medicine: Getting In, Growing, and Advancing.