Work–Life Balance: Striking the Right Chords for Harmony

[摘要] As a mother of two young children and a fellow in pediatric critical care, I was often asked the question: “how do you do it?” I certainly liked to think that I was balancing work and life appropriately. To be honest, more often than not there was simply no choice to be made about what the need of the hour was – the bare minimum at work and home accounted for every minute. When I took up additional research or childcare responsibilities, it translated into one thing: working even harder. Somehow, in addition to fulfilling the requirements of an academic fellowship, I managed to make time for doctors’ appointments, preschool events, and birthday parties. I was doing enough, but it was not enough to make me satisfied.

[学科分类] 儿科学

[关键词] work–life;burnout;professional;career satisfaction;women in science;work–family interference;pediatric intensive care;critical care