Any other Doctor Mums out there? How did your career turn out?

[OverflowingMum]

was wondering if there were any other Doctors out there, and how your career had turned out and how you had balanced it with being a Mum?
I worked as an SHO in psychiatry for 3 yrs, some part time , then was a staff grade for a couple of years before totally leaving to be at home with my dc. I took about 5 yrs out. I do have 6 DC, so family life was, and is, fairly full on! (they are now 14,12,10,8,6 and 4)
I had actually never intended to return to medicine at all....but 2 yrs ago I got offered a specialty doctor post in child and adolescent psychiatry and have been there since! In many ways it is the perfect job. I work 80% and have my hours set up so I can do school drop off every day and pick up 4 days a week. It is really ideally situated (10mins from kids school!) and my boss is great and allows a certain amount of flexibility.I love the work and it is the area I always intended to specialise in.
Trouble is, recently those little nagging thoughts of " I would have been a good consultant " have been troubling me, and I have even been browsing the college website and considering MRCPsych exams.....and/or applyng for CESR (article 14)
So....am I mad????? do you think it would be totally unrealistic to attempt membership exams (which have a shocking low pass rate at best of times!) whilst parenting 6 children? Would it even be worth the trouble of doing exams/applying for CESR ? Do I even really want to be a consultant - all the increased stress and pressure, on-call etc....or do I just need to grateful for what I have and stop being daft!
would love to hear from any other doctor Mums out there.....

also should mention cost of progressing is a bit off putting....
£450 per go for each written paper, there are 3 and its unlikely I'd pass all first time round....£980 for clinical exam which statistics suggest I would need to do at least twice, plus £400 to join royal college, then topped off by £1500 to apply for CESR (CCT equivalent,) that would then enable me to apply for non-existent Consultant jobs that I dont even want. Im mad to even consider it arent I LOL but I just cant shake that feeling of not having quite achieved all I could....and it may be an investment as obviously I would be on higher salary if I do eventually get consultant job....But, with 6DC we dont have a lot of spare cash!
someone come talk some sense to me!

I'm not a doctor so can't help, sorry! But wanted to say well done - 6 DC & working as a doctor, you obviously are fab

The only thing I would say is if you feel you'll regret not trying, then maybe you should give it a go. Presumably you can stop at any time if the pressure / cost gets too much?

Good luck however you decide to proceed & stay fabulous

Hiya, I was a staff grade in acute medicine with 2 dc and then MMC came along so I retrained as a GP which I did part time and also squeezed in another dc! Studying with children was hard but I used to do it at work during any breaks or quieter periods and then in the evening when everyone was in bed! I don't regret it, I have a CCT now and a career and my 3 lovely dc. Academically I think hospital medicine would have been too much (for me anyway) and I love the flexibility that general practice has, as well as looking after all the lovely families in our practice area. Maybe your local deanery could advise more on the specifics of Article 11 for you but I do know a couple of people in other specialties who have done it. Good luck!!

I'm a doctor, but I haven't worked for 18 months. We've just moved for the 3rd time since DD was born and I'm starting to think about going back.........

thanks for the replies all
onedev thanks, what a lovely reply must say I dont feel fabulous very often LOL. And yes I could stop at any point in the process really....
lyndie sounds like you made a good choice.Well done on managing studying with DC. I think that is the bit that scares me most! I often wonder if I should have gone the GP route...but I do love the specialty Im in, and I believe Im good at it. From my past experience I havent found the deanery very helpful...but may try again! I have emailed the CESR co-ordinator at The Royal College of Psych and am awaiting a reply for some further guidance...so will see...
jock I was out of work for 4/5 years and really thought it would be impossible to get back in...but actually it turned out to be quite straight forward, and it was amazing how quickly everything came back to me! Good luck.

will do a bit more pondering and thinking.....thanks all

also....I am 39. would take me probably realistically at least 4 years to get CESR. Then maybe another couple of years to find consultant post....do you think it is too old to be looking for consultant posts at 45/46ish??? sounds old to me...but then I havent got my head around the big 40 next year yet! In my heart I am still 31 LOL

Now it sounds like you're just making excuses .

Don't do it if you don't want to, but if you'll regret it then surely you owe it to yourself to at least try?

I'm still jealous, so make sure to stay fabulous

Being a consultant in your mid 40s was normal back in the day, so I wouldn't think it odd.

If it is feasible, then go for it. FWIW I think u have a gr8 work/life balance.

I am not a dr, but my friends who are are mainly GP's as the hours are family friendly, save one who works full time as a consultant In rhumatology, but she loves her work, a happy mum equals happy kids.

onedev yep...I am fabulous at making excuses that is true LOL.
teadrinker you are right , a consultant in mid 40s isnt really that odd I suppose.... but I DO have a pretty good set up at the moment re work life balance...
However I have been thinking that in 5 yrs time...our youngest will be 9....almost done in primary school with all the others at secondary school or having flown the nest maybe for DS1 (sob, gulp,gasp!)
My life will be very differnt then, and the thought of being able to take on consultant responsibilities at that time feels a lot more of a realistic possibility...
Also I can have a bash at it, I dont really have anything to loose (other than obviously £450 a go for the exams ) but if it doesnt work out I still have my current job....and some of the porep would be beneficial in terms of general professional development anyway even if I dont pursue it right up to consultant point....
hmmmm...
now off to get more coffee and consider how to entertain 6 DC on a wet miserable bank holiday weekend!

To me it sounds like you really want to do it but are worried about upsetting the status quo. Problem is, it doesn't sound like there's any way round that so I think you need to take the plunge.

Otherwise you'll get to your mid-40s & regret that you never tried. If you're happy, then your children will be & what am amazing role model you are for doing what you're doing, never mind if you achieve this next step whilst parenting 6 children!!

Good luck

What did you do? I’m at the same phase of life right now but CT2/SHO level surgery. Hesitating to apply to st3 because I know I’ll have to move around a huge deanery and won’t help with morning prep, school runs, etc at all. I have a 5 year old 3 year old and 3 month old. Did you CESR?

Wow - bumping this old thread now that it's been reactivated as I'd love to know what @OverflowingMum has done (assuming she's still even on Mumsnet!)

[Fond memories of a time in my life when I had this username too!]