As a parent and a doctor of nearly four decades, I’ve often found myself navigating the rugged terrain of a dual existence: the life of a devoted physician, and the life of a dedicated parent. I have not always succeeded in both arenas. My wife and I both bear the weight of our professions, drawn into the noble yet demanding world of medicine. Our missions and ambitions, while fulfilling, have often clashed with the tender responsibilities of parenthood, demanding choices that are neither easy nor forgiving. The sacrifices we’ve made for our medical careers have left their mark on our family life.

During our residency years, my wife and I were fortunate to have the support of both our parents in Puerto Rico. They were our safety net, stepping in to babysit our children, which allowed us to traverse the often tumultuous waters of medical education. Their support was a lifeline that allowed us to pursue our careers while raising children. This experience taught us the importance of building a strong support system, and we encourage all medical professionals with families to seek and nurture such support, whether it’s from extended family, friends, or professional networks.

I recall the sadness etched on my sons’ faces when a late hospital round meant I could not cheer them on from the sidelines at their baseball games or soccer matches. The disappointment in their eyes felt like a dagger to the heart. It was in those moments that the delicate interplay between work and family life became not just a challenge, but a profound source of guilt. The emotional toll of these missed moments is a weight that every physician with a family must bear, and it’s important to acknowledge and process these feelings to maintain a healthy work-life balance.

My wife, a remarkable woman, often found herself choosing to prioritize our family life when opportunities for professional advancement beckoned. She set aside aspirations of promotion and leadership, convinced that these opportunities would siphon precious time from our children. Her sacrifices were silent yet earthshaking, a testament to her character and an illustration of the often-unseen struggles of those who balance two demanding worlds.

As doctors, our professional lives carry an unspoken cost. It is not merely the missed games; rather, it is the thread of emotional connectivity that frays amidst the chaos of a busy career. The relentless drive for excellence in our medical field is shadowed by the struggle to maintain our presence as parents, a balancing act teetering on the razor’s edge between fulfillment and regret.

Yet there are benefits. My career has imparted lessons in resilience and perseverance to my children. Although I missed key moments, I find solace in their achievements, which speak volumes about their hard work and dedication. My eldest son now serves in the Navy as a judge advocate after graduating from Harvard Law School. Another soared to play Major League baseball for the Seattle Mariners. These achievements, I believe, were influenced by the values and work ethic they observed in our home, where the pursuit of excellence was a daily practice. It is interesting to consider whether my sons would have developed the professional ambition to rise to these positions if they had not had two doctors for parents. I have also written before about how my children have made me a better doctor.

In the realm of medicine, where accolades often measure success, we must recognize that the roles of physician and parent are deeply entwined, complementing rather than contradicting one another. This understanding should be a source of validation and comfort for all of us who strive to balance these two crucial aspects of our lives.

So how do we balance the two? How do we reconcile the desire to be there for our children, emotionally as well as physically, with the need to be there for our patients and colleagues? Are there areas where the medical profession could be more understanding and collectively recognize the benefits of family life for doctors? Are all the sacrifices the field asks of us always necessary for our patients, or is there a component of belief that we must “prove” our dedication to medicine by conforming to demanding schedules and social expectations?

As I inch closer to retirement, reflecting on the choices I’ve made fills me with a poignant mix of pride and regret. On one hand, I struck a necessary balance between a gratifying medical career and the immeasurable worth of being present for my family. On the other hand, missed opportunities haunt me, along with the question: Could I have done better? Could we all be doing better, as medical professionals, to be there for our children and support our colleagues who are parents?

My own professional ambition, which has sometimes bordered on obsessive, was informed by my father’s own clear choice to prioritize his medical career over his family. A man riddled with insecurities, my father clearly expressed through his actions that he believed doctors were superior people, and that being a doctor was more important to him than being a father. As a chubby second child who could never keep up with my older brother’s achievements, I felt my father’s judgment and his contempt for ordinary humans especially keenly.

How often, then, was it his voice in my head whispering, “You will never excel as a doctor,” that drove me to miss soccer games, or which drove my attention to wander back to work even when I was physically present? And how often was it genuine care and concern for my patients, who needed an attentive doctor in their times of medical distress?

The dual path of a doctor and parent is neither straightforward nor easy, but it is a journey worth navigating. In the end, it is not merely what we achieve in our careers that defines our legacy, but how we manage to be both doctors and loving parents, ensuring that our lives are woven together with meaning that extends far beyond our professions.

Success is never a purely solitary pursuit. It is never achieved without support from others. We are the sum of all our experiences, intricate tapestries entangled with the love and joy we cultivate along the way. In this world of haste and ambition, let us remember to savor both the sweet and the bittersweet moments (the laughter at home and the triumphs at work) which ultimately compose the beautiful mess that is life. This reflection on the bittersweet nature of success should inspire us to appreciate the journey as much as the destination.

Francisco M. Torres is an interventional physiatrist specializing in diagnosing and treating patients with spine-related pain syndromes. He is certified by the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and the American Board of Pain Medicine and can be reached at Florida Spine Institute and Wellness. 

Dr. Torres was born in Spain and grew up in Puerto Rico. He graduated from the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine. Dr. Torres performed his physical medicine and rehabilitation residency at the Veterans Administration Hospital in San Juan before completing a musculoskeletal fellowship at Louisiana State University Medical Center in New Orleans. He served three years as a clinical instructor of medicine and assistant professor at LSU before joining Florida Spine Institute in Clearwater, Florida, where he is the medical director of the Wellness Program.

Dr. Torres is an interventional physiatrist specializing in diagnosing and treating patients with spine-related pain syndromes. He is certified by the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and the American Board of Pain Medicine. He is a prolific writer and primarily interested in preventative medicine. He works with all of his patients to promote overall wellness.