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Balancing life and work

How can ophthalmologists separate work, life and family time? EuroTimes Executive Editor Colin Kerr reports

Ophthalmologists may try to achieve a work-life balance that helps them to achieve their goals in both their careers and family life, but is this really possible?

This is one of the questions that will be addressed during the Practice Management and Development Programme at the 38th Congress of the ESCRS in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. The topic is close to the hearts of Dr Joséphine Behaegel and Dr Luke Sansom, two young ophthalmologists who took part in a recent ESCRS EuroTimes Eye Contact Interview with Professor Sorcha Ní Dhubhghaill. Their conversation focused mainly on the challenges facing trainees, but a lot of their key points can be applied to their older colleagues.

“Medical training can be very demanding and it’s not just limited to working hours,” said Dr Behaegel. “We all have a passion for ophthalmology, but from time to time it can feel like it’s a little too much.”

So how can ophthalmologists separate work, life and family time? “Making a clear distinction between work and life is almost the perfect goal, but it’s probably unachievable,” said Dr Sansom. “Work and life balance is about working with your colleagues and working with your family to make that balance exist and it’s very individual to each and every one of us.” Dr Sansom said that he has an understanding with his family that he will work hard and often work late. “When I am at home, my time is theirs and theirs alone so I try not to be on my phone or taking work calls. That doesn’t always happen and sometimes you stay late and there are over-running clinics and that is where the biggest challenge lies,” he said. “It works the other way and sometimes my wife might be unwell, or as I’m walking out the door, one of the children may fall over and scrape their knee and I may end up in work half an hour late after patching them up. It works both ways, and my work colleagues have to be understanding about the challenges of family life,” he said.

SOCIAL SUPPORT NETWORK Dr Behaegel said having a good family and social support network was also important. “Family and friends play an important role in the work-life balance,” she said. “It’s important to know when to grab a coffee with a friend or to phone a friend on your way home. If you’re having a bad day at work or things don’t go as expected, your friends can cheer you up and that’s positive,” said Dr Behaegel. “The problem is that often it’s difficult to meet friends while performing a full-time job.” The challenges may be even greater for female ophthalmologists who face not only the demands of their work schedules, but also the requirements of raising a family. Dr Sansom pointed out that a lot of ophthalmologists start their families during their training years, which are already difficult for trainees who face exams, essays and other academic and surgical work.

“Trying to put a family in the middle of all that is really difficult,” he said. “For female ophthalmologists there is also the difficulty of going back to work after having children and the stresses and sometimes guilt of leaving children after going back to work.”

A further challenge faces those with elderly relatives, and Dr Sansom suggests that the institutions where they work need to make allowances for these situations. Dr Behaegel said there are institutional changes that could ensure better worklife balance. “The quality of the training environment is important. We all have to become skilled physicians, but our mental health is also important. We can feel stronger if we feel our skills are improving and the quality of training has an important role. The head of the department should be flexible by providing protected research time and allowing residents go to conferences. Small things have a huge impact.”