The Article in Brief
Women in Medicine and the Ticking Clock
Lisa N. Miura and Rebecca S. Boxer
What This Study Found In this essay, 2 female physicians reflect on the consequences of postponing motherhood in the pursuit of successful medical careers. They share their personal stories of difficulty conceiving, miscarriages, and stillbirth, reflecting on how their intense career focus led them to gamble away their fertility. Because delayed childbearing can result in unintended childlessness, the need for assisted reproductive techniques, adoption, and having smaller than desired family size, the authors call for training programs and employers to provide more information and support to women in medicine and adopt policies that are consistent with today's trainees' and physicians' complex lives. They caution men and women in medicine to carefully consider how medical school, residencies, and fellowships can impinge on family planning.