Q&A: Becoming Dr. Dad

Q: I'm going to be a father soon. How can I make time to be with my child without sacrificing my duties as a doctor?

Being a good parent doesn't have to mean shortchanging your duties at work, says Veterinary Economics Editorial Advisory Board member Dr. Andrew Rollo, an associate at Madison Veterinary Hospital in Madison Heights, Mich.

Veterinarians often work irregular hours, so there are many unconventional ways to make time with your child, says Dr. Rollo, who just had his first child, Nolan, in June of 2008. If your busiest hours are in the evening, try starting your shift later in the day or taking a longer lunch so you can be home while your baby is awake. Find time to be home while your spouse works. This will give you some quality one-on-one time with your child. Being flexible with work hours also has the added benefit of cutting down on childcare costs. It's not unusual for doctors to take at least one weekday off a week, so try to make that the same day each week. Make sure you give your best while you're at work so that when you're home, team members aren't calling to ask about work-related issues. After all, you want to spend your day changing diapers and feeding split peas, not answering questions about cefazolin dosing frequency, right?