Medical school and motherhood


The late comedian Milton Berle once joked that “if evolution really works, how come mothers only have two hands?”

Motherhood is indeed a tough job, albeit a rewarding one. Medical school is also tough and ultimately rewarding. Imagine juggling both, motherhood and medical school, at the same time.

“It’s definitely a skill I’ve developed over time,” says now Dr. Colleen Bartley, who on Monday graduated from the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine. “I’ve learned to use the resources and help I have available because it is a lot to juggle.”

Bartley, mom to 5-year-old Kayle, says she couldn’t have done it without a supportive family. She has counted on family members to watch her daughter when she needed to study or had a long day at school. “That took much of the pressure and worry off of me.”

She is not alone; there are a handful of mothers in the just graduated Class of 2015, including some who gave birth during medical school. The College of Medicine allows for maternity leave based on a case by case basis.

New grad Dr. Colleen Bartley and daughter Kayle.New grad Dr. Natalia Echeverri and family on Match Day. She gave birth to her second child two days later.WorldsAhead grad Dr. LeAnn Shannon and family on Match Day.Surgical resident Dr. Trine Engerbretsen (Class of 2013) holds newborn Anderson, 2011.New mom, new grad Dr. Ana Peña with husband and daughter.Dr. Erica Escarcega gets a hug from her daughter on Match Day.Dr. Natalia Echeverri with sons Sebastian and baby Nicolas.

Dr. Natalia Echeverri is the most recent med school mom. Everyone was worried about her on Match Day (March 20) when a very pregnant Echeverri started having contractions the morning of the ceremony. Already mom to 2-year-old Sebastian, she had baby Nicolas just two days later.

Dr. LeAnn Shannon, this year’s HWCOM Worlds Ahead graduate, became a mom to Noah, 2, during her second year in medical school. Exactly two years later daughter Zelda was born (the children share the same birthday), and both were on hand on Match Day when their mom found out she’ll be continuing her medical training as a surgery and radiology resident at Vanderbilt University.

And if medical school is challenging, residency presents a whole new level of demands on time and body according to Dr. Trine Engerbretsen, a graduate of the HWCOM’s inaugural class, who had her first child, Andersen, while in medical school and is due again in June.

“The biggest challenge to balancing motherhood and being a resident has been managing my time and emotions,” said Engerbretsen, who is doing a surgery residency at a hospital in Georgia.

She tries to be the best she can with the role at hand—being actively involved in patient care while at the hospital, and focusing on family when she is home; and she tries to avoid saying “Mommy can’t play now. She has work to do.” She has an average of four days off a month, so she plans mommy-and-me dates on those days.

As a pregnant surgical resident, Engerbretsen says she learned to navigate the day by storing a buffet of snacks in her pocket, emptying her bladder before even “quick” surgeries or rounds, and protecting her most valuable assets: her health and her time.

Like the other medical moms, she says family support is invaluable. For example, her son has a break in school every three months, so her grandmother already has those dates set aside on her calendar knowing that Andersen will be staying with her during that time.

It’s been said the three things that keep you going in medical school are stress, debt, and caffeine. If you’re a mom-to-be, you may have to hold the caffeine, but then once you become a mom, it’ll take more than that to keep you going. The young mothers who are juggling both medicine and motherhood agree that you have to add a lot of planning and a great support team to keep a healthy balance.

“It’s a tough road,” Bartley admits, but she has this advice for young women who want to be doctors and moms: “Don’t let being a mother stop you from pursuing your dream. You’re being an awesome example for your child. Plus, they make the best cheerleaders!”