When Doctor becomes Mommy

Hmmm....what to write?

First of all, I'd like to give you a backgrounder on myself. I'm a doctor, an ophthalmologist to be precise, whose whole life BB (before baby) has been focused on my training and career. Being a doctor is not something you accomplish in a single day. You don't just wake up one day, saying..."Yes, I want to be doctor!" and become one the next day. It takes years and years of singleminded ambition. It takes a lot of patience, sleep deprivation, studies, no holidays (forced, without pay). After which, people think you're already rich just because you have the letters M and D affixed after your name when in fact you're swimming in debt (or your parents supported you all the way).

Did I ever regret my decision? No! Coz being a doctor is something that I really, really wanted. It's my passion, my calling, my vocation.

Now, after the seemingly endless years in the quest to attach the 2 aforementioned capital letters after my name, I got married. Then had a child a year later. Late by conventional standards, at 35. Suddenly, my priorities had to change. Now there's someone who's my new priority. Someone who comes ahead of my career. That means I have to cut back on my clinic hours. My little precious comes first. My baby's mom-- that's who I am, first and foremost.

But can I give my career up? No. Because it's who I am. Now, how to balance being a mom and having an active medical career? I'm working on it....and I hope I get the balance right.