Work/Life Balance for Women
Interventionalists
February 19, 2017
Mirvat Alasnag FACP, FRCP, FSCAI, FSCCT
Mirvat Alasnag FACP, FRCP, FSCAI, FSCCT
I have no relevant financial relationships
Introduction
• Women pursuing careers in medicine is
steadily increasing.
– 1997, women constituted 43% of medical
students in the USA & 22% of practicing physicians
– 2001, 45.8% & 28% for female academic medical
faculty
– 2040 projected to reach 50%
Academic Psychiatry, 28:4, Winter 2004
• 12% of women choose cardiology as a career.
• Of these, only 10% specialize in procedural fields (5.9% of
board certified interventional cardiologists are women)
• Cited deterrents to a cardiology career for women:
– Impairments to family planning
– Perceived radiation risks
– Unequal funding for research endeavors & unequal pay for
equal work compared to men
– Professional discouragement or rejection due to a lack of
female mentors in the field (SCAI-WIN)
– Poor work/life balance (long & unpredictable hours)
Poppas A, Cummings J, Dorbala S, et al. Survey results: a decade of change in professional life in cardiology. A 2008 report of the
ACC Women in Cardiology Council. J Am Coll Cardiol 2008; 52:2215-2226.
Family Planning
• Female physicians often choose to delay having children >>
pregnancy occurs during less fertile years >> higher biological
concern for congenital defects.
• A survey of US female physicians:
– 43% thought childbearing would interfere with their career plans &
21% thought it would lead to the loss of a fellowship position.
– The same study found that women intentionally postponed their
pregnancies due to perceived career threats.
• A Norwegian study:
– The number of births for a female physician is inversely proportional
to her choice of subspecialty. Postponing the first child made it more
likely that she would complete her training.
Willett L, Wellons M, Hartig J, et al. Do Women Residents Delay Childbearing Due to Perceived Career Threats? Assoc. of
Am Med Colleges 2010; 85:4.
Radiation Risks: Perceived & Real
Best PJ, Skelding KA, Mehran R, Chieffo A, Kunadian V, Madan M, Mikhail GW, Mauri F, Takahashi S, Honye J, Hernández-Antolín R, Weiner BH; Society for
Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions’ Women in Innovations (WIN) Group. SCAI onsensus document on occupational radiation exposure
Radiation Risks
• Deciding whether or not to work in the cath lab
when pregnant should be a personal decision.
• It is important to plan the schedule for the cath
lab & on-calls early to minimize the physical &
radiation risks.
• Long working hours/cath lab call & associated
sleep deprivation are better tolerated earlier in
pregnancy when the radiation risks are at their
highest.
Unequal Pay
• Data from Medscape Cardiologist Compensation
Report in 2014 highlight the discrepancy in the
annual salary. Women $309,000 & men
$356,000.
• ($50,000 less!!)
• “Women must learn to champion for themselves
and each other as early as fellowship”.
Available at: http://www.medscape.com/ features/slideshow/compensation/2014/cardiology. Accessed December 15, 2014.
Work/Life Balance
• Redefine what “having it all is to you” & to the significant
people in your life.
• Women in careers are still the child bearers & still account for
more responsibility with regards to household chores &
raising children >> “that must be acknowledged”.
• Women will forgo career opportunities for family >>“that’s
ok”.
• Subconscious discrimination:
e.g. Attending a school function is often met with:
– Woman: An eye roll and “unreliable”
– Man: A pat on the shoulder and “applaud”
Nikki Stamp is a cardiothoracic surgeon in Australia
My personal Experience
• Travel for subspecialty training but left my family
behind (spouse & 2 year old daughter)
• Second child (gap vs establish myself in the field)
• Support system:
– Co-workers:
• Cath lab time during pregnancy
• Maternity leave (premature)
• No place to pump (NICU)
– Family:
• School runs
• Nudge
• Looking back >> tough
• Looking forward >> no end in sight
• But I would do it all over again
What can be done?
1. Negotiate your options:
– Pregnancy (work in cath lab or not & flexible
schedule)
– Maternity leave
– Breastfeeding (allocated time & space)
– Flexible work hours
2. Childcare (Nanny or on-site daycare facility)
3. Support system (family, neighbors, friends)
4. Familiarize yourself with legal rights