Women who choose medicine as a career take on a burden that the average working woman does not have. Physicians must devote their lives to the well-being of others. This requires physicians to sacrifice the amount of time they have available for their families. During residency doctors must work days on end, and may not always have the luxury of going home to be a wife and mother. Research conducted by sociologist Dr. Arlie Hochschild has shown that women employed in full-time careers work an average of fifteen hours longer than their spouses.
Most women return from their day jobs to an evening of household rituals.
This leaves little opportunity for working women to devote time towards family interaction. As female pre-medical students it is imperative to recognize the commitment involved in being a doctor while raising a family. Dr. Sophia Momad is a practicing physician in Whitter, California who has successful managed to have a family and a career. Dr. Momad was pregnant twice during medical school and had two young infants during her residency. Her situation was extremely challenging since she still had two infants to care for during her residency.