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Balancing Home and Work

By Theresa O. Wyrick, MD

I went to medical school thinking I would do pediatrics or OB/GYN because that was my perception of what women physicians did. I was in my third year of medical school and had just completed both of those clinical rotations and realized neither was my calling. I wanted to do surgery, orthopaedics specifically. I grew up on cattle farm as the oldest of two daughters helping my dad, first handing him the wrenches to fix broken equipment and then turning them myself. Fixing things was in my blood. I cold-called the only female orthopaedic surgeon on faculty at our institution at the time and she enthusiastically agreed to meet with me. My primary question was some version of “can I be a mom, a wife and an orthopaedic surgeon?” This is still what young women who are interested in orthopaedics ask me to answer 18 years later. The answer is still resoundingly “yes.” Along the way, I’ve learned some life hacks about being a better CEO of my household that make it easier. Figuring out what I really care about at home and prioritizing that has been the critical first step of this process.

I deeply care what my family eats and I love to cook for them. I plan my meals for the week on Sunday morning before anyone wakes up and make the grocery list and mark the pages in the cookbook. I order the groceries on Instacart and they are delivered the same day. I plan at least one night for leftovers since my Tuesday clinic almost always runs long, putting me home late. I order almost everything (kids’ school shoes, class Valentine’s, toilet paper, you name it) online since I have no time to shop in person. I put everything on my digital calendar including kid events, call days, meetings that may run late, etc., and add my spouse on with a calendar invite so he knows. He also sends me his calendared obligations. I limit school volunteering to a reasonable amount. I ask other moms for help with transportation when needed and I volunteer to do the transportation when I’m able to repay the favor.

I need time for self-care and have found ways to squeeze that in. I love to read but rarely have the time to do so. I listen on Audible. I turn it on when I’m getting ready in the morning for 10 minutes. I listen while I’m cooking. I listen to 25 plus books annually using these little tricks. I pre-book my next hair appointment when I’m leaving the salon. I do the same with dentist appointments for the kids and I, primary care wellness visits, mammograms, and any other recurring visits needed. I have a home spin bike, some small weights, and the Peloton app that I stream on my TV to get in at least twenty minutes of exercise most days. I outsource the things I hate doing…grocery shopping and cleaning my house.

These are some of the things I’ve learned in the last five years while balancing work and home and raising two young daughters with my spouse. It is my sincere hope that those surgeons reading this who are in the trenches struggling to find some balance between home and work will find some practical takeaways that can keep their heads above water.

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