Being a pediatric radiologist at Cincinnati Children’s is an incredible experience, and being a mother of two wonderful children is an amazing adventure. I have had the privilege to be both a working mom and a stay-at-home mom during different periods in my life. Anyone who has children knows how difficult being a parent can be. I have found that whether you work or stay at home, you question if you’re doing enough in either situation. I love my children and I love my career. Finding the balance is the hard part.
When I stayed at home, my life was immersed in feeding and bathing my kids, nursery rhymes, cleaning the house, and bedtime stories with Elmo and Thomas the Train. We had no immediate family nearby because we had moved to Minnesota for my husband’s job. There was frequent exhaustion, but I would not give up this time I had with them for anything.
However, I did miss my career during that time. Prior to motherhood, so much of my life had been spent preparing for my career. There was college, medical school, internship, residency, and finally fellowship – a total of 12 years after high school graduation. I felt a huge sense of accomplishment when I completed my training and got my first “real” job. I have gotten so much satisfaction in my career, knowing that I helped make a difference to so many patients by working with their doctors to find the right diagnosis and treatment. This was all I knew up until I had my own children, so it’s understandable how I had missed those experiences.
When we moved back to Ohio, life brought me out of the stay-at-home role and back into the work force. It was a harder transition than I expected. Even though I had kept up with my licensure, medical board requirements, and continuing medical education, the practical hands on, day-to-day work experience is important to maintain a comfort level in our field since it changes and grows so quickly. I was blessed to have many supportive people around me during that time and my children were old enough to start school. Once I got through the transition I was thrilled to be a contributing member of my field again!
Finding the balance between career and home life (and anything else life throws at you) is truly a challenge. I know a higher power than me has been with me throughout this entire process, and I am thankful for the opportunity to find this balance in my life.
Contributed by Dr. Sunny Pitt and edited by Tony Dandino, RT(MR).
