Single Mom in Medicine.

“Mummy I’m hungry!” Susan’s 3-year-old son cried as he tugged at her skirt. She had just settled down to read chapter one of ‘The Principles of Medicine and Surgery’; she had been on the same chapter for a week now.

Her attention shifted to her son, his large brown tear-filled eyes boring into her soul – she felt guilty. Guilty she had chosen a profession that kept her away from home most of the time.

In addition, Susan was always exhausted to cook proper meals for her family. Sadly, she was not quite where she needed to be in her career to provide the best for her family.

Her mind traveled back in time, to the day she became a doctor, the day she took the Hippocratic oath; the dreams she had – to become a world-class Paediatrician with a loving husband, beautiful children, and a thriving practice.

Her son, who was still hungry broke her from her reverie. She remembered how she met his father, Dave who had since left her. Dave was tired of the frequent reading and exams that never seemed to end. Tired of the cold meals stored in the fridge, tired of the 48-hour weekend call duties. Tired of the calls at odd hours, tired of the fact she was always saying she was tired. Susan didn’t blame him.

She tossed her textbook into the cabinet where it would remain untouched till the next week. She prepared a meal for her son who would be dropped at his grandma’s place. There was work that night.

Single Mom, Great Doctor

Susan was a super doctor. Her patients always looked forward to her ward rounds. There was always a smile for them. She didn’t mind spending an hour on each of them. She was never late and remembered all their names. What a nice, disciplined, and pleasant doctor she is, they would all say, she must have a happy family.

Nobody noticed when she would dash into the bathroom and cry a bucket full of tears. No one noticed her constant phone calls to check if her son was okay neither did they see the carton full of unpaid bills. She was the Super doctor, a single mom, and the woman of steel.