School Student
What's surgery like?
Pregnancy and Maternity
Many surgeons have successfully combined motherhood with a rewarding surgical career. Surgery benefits from a diverse workforce. The months of pregnancy are a short time in a career.
Whens the best time?
There are pros and cons to having a family at each stage of your career; you must decide what will work best for you. Be assured that many women have gone through this before! It is easier to plan your return to work if you are in a permanent job, i.e. Consultant, Specialty Doctor or Associate Specialist, or in a long rotation e.g. ST3 onwards with a National Training Number (NTN). If you have a NTN, your date for acquiring a Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) moves forward by every week that you are on leave after the first three months.
At earlier stages in your career, it is more difficult to cope with frequent job changes, busy shifts and applying for jobs if you also have a demanding baby, but some people manage it. Its also worth remembering that you are only allowed 4 weeks out of a FY1 or FY2 year before you have to repeat some or all of the year.
Some couples decide to wait until they are settled in Consultant posts, but surgical training is long and fertility reduces with age. After age 35, the success rate for IVF declines rapidly and some regions have age-limits for NHS funding. IVF requires a series of hormonal injections and scans which may necessitate time off work.
