09/ 26/ 2007
by Emily McMackin
Job sharing allows doctors to embrace passion for medicine and commitment to family
Maureen Downes used to be a workaholic, devoting seven days a week to caring for patients at her practice, Irvine Pediatrics. She rarely took vacations, turned her beeper off or spent time with her husband and three children without being interrupted by a hospital dispatch or call about a feverish child. While colleagues respected her diligence, her reputation made it difficult to hire any of them.
"No one wanted to join me because they thought I worked too hard," she says.
Downes started her practice to gain control over her schedule, but ended up working around-the-clock to prove herself to obstetricians who fed her patient base. Finding a healthy balance seemed impossible until a pregnant pediatrician whom Downes wanted to hire suggested splitting her duties with another doctor who was also expecting.
"It was almost like serendipity," says Downes, who had tried to propose a similar idea years before while pregnant with her first child and working at a hospital.
Now Irvine Pediatrics employs six part-time pediatricians. The doctors, some of whom are expectant mothers, work flexible hours that fit their family schedules. When one doctor is out, another covers her calls and sees her patients. Though Downes takes Fridays off, she keeps her full-time schedule, filling in during hectic times.
"We all have the same goal--and that's why it works," Downes says. "We want to be good doctors and respected in our profession, but we also want to be good parents."
The doctors spend days off with their children, bringing them to school and going to their parties, plays and ballgames. Some even use the time to stay in shape, taking swimming lessons and going on bike rides and nature hikes with their kids. The women return to the office refreshed and reenergized.
"The time away allows them to give to patients without feeling tired and irritable and to give to their families without feeling guilty," Downes says.
Scaling back has even boosted her business. When parents see the doctors out in the community, it builds trust and draws them to the practice.
"They see that we have a sense of family values and practice what we preach," Downes says. "When we give advice, they know it is real--and not from an ivory tower."
Letting go wasn't easy for Downes, but it was the best medicine for herself and her business. She is finally able to tend to her garden, hang out with her family and relax on vacations.
"It's nice to know that you can be good at what you do without feeling frazzled and overwhelmed," Downes says.
Walk Away
Five ways to let go without hurting your business
1. Work hard, play harder. At Irvine Pediatrics, doctors work their share of weekends to accommodate busy parents and skip lunch and stay late on hectic days. Away from the office, they exercise, take trips with their families and cultivate hobbies. The more time they take for themselves, the more energy they have for work.
2. Find the right match. Downes looks for doctors to hire who are flexible, cooperative and share a sense of family values. This pays off when schedule conflicts arise because "everyone wants to do what’s best for each other." And hiring like-minded doctors also keeps patients comfortable when they must see a different doctor.
3. Have a backup plan. When an emergency or scheduling snag occurs, Downes is always willing to do some extra rounds. And she makes sure that her doctors get their time off before she gets hers.
4. Stay connected. Because Downes still admits to being a "mother hen" about her practice, staying connected to the office via the Internet allows her to keep tabs on crucial issues without obsessing over everything that is happening while she’s out. She provides her doctors with laptops and access to electronic charts so they can finish paperwork from home.
5. Forget about it. Stepping away wasn’t easy for Downes until she learned to trust employees and give them the authority to make decisions in her absence. Time off means nothing if your mind is at the office.
NFIB.com
Want to hear more suggestions on finding the right work-life balance? Visit the "Stress Management" section of "Growth and Planning" at www.NFIB.com/toolsandtips.
