Members Answer - Want to go part-time?

"The palliative care ward where I work does not have any part-time doctors, I want to persuade them to let me work part-time and job-share with another doctor. Any tips?" GV - UK (August 1999)

ANSWERS
" I have successfully created part-time work for myself within the context of primary practice in three settings. (My husband is in the military, hence the frequency of new jobs...) The optimal situation was one in which I had been full-time, thereby establishing my patient population and reputation first. When I wanted to go "part time", I approached my medical director with the concept of a Practice-sharing arrangement. It took about a year, but we eventually found another physician/mom who wanted to "share" my practice. It was a wonderful, though brief arrangement, since the military moved us one short year later. However, the success has made it easier for me to "sell" the concept to other prospective employers. If you can find a "sharing" partner without your employeer doing the recruitment, it may be easier to create a part-time position for yourself. Place a classified ad in a local trade journal, and see if you come up with anyone. It has worked for me and allowed me time to enjoy both of my "careers", as mom and MD. Good Luck." RS (September 2000)

"I realize that part-time positions are not things you often see advertised. However, that does not mean they are not availabl.e Throughout my exciting and fullfilling 23 year and counting career in medicine, I have been offered 3 part time jobs. I have been working in my current one for 12 years now. In all three instances, there was no job opening. But, I prsented what I had to offer to the administrators of the hospitals in question, and pointed out how me working part-time for them would be beneficial to them. In all three instances, a part-time job was created for me, when there had been no job opening- not even a full-time one." ('horseman', January 2003)