Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2019 Aug 30;6(1):43-45.
doi: 10.1016/j.ijwd.2019.08.008. eCollection 2020 Jan.

Striving for balance: A review of female dermatologists' perspective on managing a dual-career household

Jaclyn Rosenthal  1 , Karolyn A Wanat  2 , Sara Samimi  3
Affiliations
Review

Striving for balance: A review of female dermatologists' perspective on managing a dual-career household

Jaclyn Rosenthal et al. Int J Womens Dermatol. .

Abstract

As the gender gap in medicine continues to close, female dermatologists are striving to balance the competing demands of career ambitions and family responsibilities. Despite gaining a new sense of autonomy and personal fulfillment, working women report feelings of guilt, frustration, and exhaustion as they struggle to be a good doctor, partner, mother, family member, and friend. The presence of children in the household and the asymmetrical division of labor have been reported as main stressors for women in dual-career families. Finding time for self-care and maintaining a robust support system are effective strategies to mitigate these challenges. In this study, we performed a literature review to evaluate the internal and external pressures among working women in dual-career families. In addition, we provide the personal commentary of Sara Samimi and Karolyn A. Wanat, two female dermatologists living in dual-career families, to gain further insight into the difficulties of balancing personal and professional responsibilities.

Keywords: Division of labor; Dual-career household; Working moms.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. Epstein C.D. Law partners and marital partners: strains and solutions in the dual-career family enterprise. Human Relations. 1971;24:549–563.
    1. Mattessich S., Shea K., Whitaker-Worth D. Parenting and female dermatologists' perceptions of work-life balance. Int J Womens Dermatol. 2017;3(3):127–130. - PMC - PubMed
    1. McMurray J.E., Linzer M., Konrad T.R., Douglas J., Shugerman R., Nelson K. The work lives of women physicians results from the physician work life study. The SGIM Career Satisfaction Study Group. J Gen Intern Med. 2000;15(6):372–380. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Parsons W., Duke P., Snow P., Edwards A. Physicians as parents. Can. Fam. Phys. 2009;55 808–9.e1-4. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Rapaport R., Rapaport R.N. The dual career family: a variant pattern and social Change. Human Relations. 1969;22(1)