Having babies as a surgical trainee
BMJ 1999; 319 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.319.7223.2 (Published 04 December 1999) Cite this as: BMJ 1999;319:S2-7223
- Scarlett McNally, specialist registrar in orthopaedic surgery
- Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton, BN2 5BE.
Having a baby in the midst of surgical training posts might seem daunting. Scarlett McNally, a full time specialist registrar in orthopaedic surgery with two children (aged 21/2 years and 8 months), has some advice
Some 60%of medical students are women. If surgical specialties remain a male preserve the standard of surgeons will fall. Several factors have made it easier for both men and women to combine a surgical career with having a family: CEPOD (the confidential enquiry in perioperative deaths) has reduced nocturnal operating, junior doctors” hours are reducing, the Royal Colleges of Surgeons” exams have become more structured, and ‘Calmanisation’ (with specialist registrar rotations) makes it easier to put down roots (for finding babysitters and créches).
For a surgical consultant, having a baby should not be much different from the experience of any other professional woman. It is harder for a trainee. Pregnancy can be physically difficult, and having a child eats into all your spare time. These are difficult to correlate with early starts, unpredictable finishes, on call duty, studying for exams, writing papers, commuting to posts on a rotation, and a macho culture. However, training also occupies the time of peak fertility, before age 35.
Maternity leave rights
To qualify for maximum maternity leave, you must have been in continuous employment in the NHS for one year before the 11th week before your baby is due, so avoid gaps in service.1 A break of up to three months is allowed, and a fellowship post abroad for up to a year does not count as a break in service. Doing NHS locums is better than agency locums if you are likely to get pregnant soon after.
You get eight weeks” leave on full pay, 10 weeks on half pay, and up to 34 weeks” unpaid leave with your job held open. You can start maternity leave any time between 11 weeks before your baby is due and the birth itself. During the paid part of maternity leave, you accrue annual leave and pension and …