Joan, part-time physician

Joan
Senior physician
Neonantolgist

How long have you been working part-time?

About 10 years. I work two days at the hospital and about 2 days a week at home. My work is in academic medicine. I spend about an hour a week working with medical students and interacting with residents and fellows and also help with grand rounds, doing things like getting speakers. I still am active in clinical research, writing papers and mentoring. Much of this I can do from my home via the computer. I still am involved in organized medicine and I am on many committees, including the bioethics committee at my hospital. Much of my committee work is volunteer.

Why did you decide to work part-time when you did?

My main reason for cutting down on my work time was my energy level. I am in my 80s now and have been fortunate to have good health but my energy level is not the same as it used to be. I still wanted to work in an area where I have been able to be on the cutting edge. I went to medical school in the 1940s, and since that time I have always been interested in newborn care. I made the choice to be in the nursery and not on the wards and I have never regretted that decision.

I also felt like I needed a change and that I was ready to change. I stepped down from chair of my division about 20 years ago, although I was acting director for about a year and half. I am a widow and my children do not live that near by. I wanted to work part-time, which I think is easier to do in an academic environment, because I still wanted to interact with a variety of people. I like being with my colleagues, medical students, residents and fellows. I still find my work very exciting and wanted to continue doing it. I just wanted less responsibility. I also have had my full of county politics and felt it was time to do something different. I am very fortunate to have a wonderful work environment. My colleagues all get along. Not all divisions are like that.

I work part-time because I think it keeps me looking at life the way it really is. I am not only spending time with my friends that are my age but with a wonderful variety of people and people of different ages. Working part-time keeps my wheels turning. That is important. I figured out that in the past year and half I have published five papers and 3 abstracts. I need some pressure on me to keep me moving and doing things.

What has changed in your life since you started working part-time?

I definitely don’t work as hard as I used to. I work about 6-8 hours, 3 or 4 days a week. The major difference in working part-time though is difference in responsibility. I used to be chair of my division at the hospital. I work for fun, which is a great thing and I get paid too.

I have always considered myself to be somewhat of a “tomboy” and have always been physically active. I now have time for more organized physical activity like taking yoga and strength training classes. Taking organized classes keeps me working out. If it was just by myself I probably would not do the yoga and strength training as much.

The local symphony and orchestra have been a passion to me even when I was working full-time. I now have time to be more involved with both of these. Even when I worked full-time I always like to travel and so did my husband. So traveling is not really new, but I get a lot more vacation time now. I have always been a believer in vacations.

I also read more non-medical books now than when I worked full-time.

Are there any things you miss?

I miss clinical medicine but feel to do that it is not worth the price I would pay. Other things are easier to do that give me pleasure. I work for personal reasons now.

What advice would you give someone who is considering retiring and working part-time?

You need to make sure that what you are doing is exciting and something you want to do. You should take some time to figure out what parts of your current work you like and what parts you would like to cut away. Cut away a little of your responsibilities a little bit at a time. Don’t cut away things too fast. Cut back on the more demanding things and keep in touch with your colleagues. It is harder as you get older to get back into things once you stop doing them, so do things slowly. Don’t take away too many aspects of your work all at once.