Letters to the Editor
Essay on Mothering and Doctoring Resonates
I would love to congratulate Dr. Lauren Plante on her compassionate essay regarding the difficulties of mothering and doctoring in the same lifetime (see “Obstetricians Wanted: No Mothers Need Apply,” in the August 2004 issue of Minnesota Medicine). I am a mom who had to leave my place of employment in the Twin Cities to find more control over my schedule. Interestingly, I have had more freedom out in Alexandria than I had in my job in St. Paul. It is true that I work probably as many hours. But I can also say when I cannot work, and that is amazing to me. I wonder if you would have the guts to do a story on women in medicine and the difficulty of finding a workplace with compassion and flexibility. I am sure it would raise many feathers.
Erika Johnson, M.D.
Obstetrics and gynecology
Alexandria Clinic
Alexandria, Minnesota