Anaesthesia Coffee Break The primary exam as a mum - the challenges and strategies for success
Nov 25, 2022
Kaylee Jordan, a staff specialist anaesthetist, leads a panel featuring fellow registrars Steph Mulligan and Ariane Teok, both juggling motherhood and exam prep. They share strategies for managing study schedules around childcare, including negotiating rosters and maximizing protected time. Steph offers insight on tackling mom guilt while Ari emphasizes the importance of pacing oneself through the pressure to sit for exams too early. Together, they highlight the need for systemic change to better support parents in medical training.
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Negotiate Rosters Early
- Negotiate fixed rosters early and present workable solutions to the hospital to secure protected weekday time for childcare.
- Start discussions as soon as you get a job and propose win-win roster changes to make part-time study feasible.
Protect Study Time Deliberately
- Protect consistent study time by working part-time and using childcare or school days to create long study blocks.
- Assign sick-child cover to your partner to avoid repeatedly losing study days when children are unwell.
Plan Longer Than A Year
- Planning study over 18 months is often more realistic than one year because family disruptions lengthen timelines.
- Build a safety net in your timetable for inevitable interruptions with young children.