Clear goals — even though the priority is `family life´
A specialist in radiology and neuroradiology, Dr Birgit Ertl-Wagner is senior physician for teleradiology at the Institute for Clinical Radiology, in Grosshadern University Hospital, Munich.
She studied medicine at Ludwig-Maximilians University, in Munich, and gained her doctorate for her thesis on neuroradiology at the Max-Planck-Institut Martinsried. She has worked in her profession in the USA, Switzerland and Great Britain. Now aged 37 and with two children, aged 4 and 11/2 years, we asked how she manages to juggle a heavy work schedule and family life.
Dr Ertl-Wagner: Balancing children and career is quite a challenge, but my family here in Munich helps me. Additionally, I have a unique function at the hospital: unlike my colleagues, whose responsibilities focus on one imaging modality, mine are more varied. As senior physician for teleradiology I’m in charge of the associated hospitals for imaging diagnostics. Other foci are paediatric imaging and ENT imaging. This broad range of responsibilities offers a certain degree of flexibility, because I’m not attached to one single department. I have a computer at home, so I’m not forced be at the hospital to perform my diagnostic tasks. This means that, even when I am under extreme professional pressure, there’s space for me to take care of my children. In terms of family life this arrangement is invaluable.
If you want to balance career and family you have to be open for innovative solutions without losing sight of your objective. After the birth of my second daughter, Hannah, I continued my teleradiology job from home. In addition to the workstation I had a dedicated telephone line between home and the hospital as well as access to the interactive diagnostic portal. I was also in permanent contact with colleagues. Undoubtedly this was not only an untrodden path, but also a difficult one. Imagine there are three emergencies simultaneously and you have to make important decisions very quickly. Nevertheless, I am very glad that I chose that road because it allowed me to take care of my daughter while continuing with my professional life.
EH: You radiate determination, ambition and a clear sense of direction. Have you always known what you wanted to do and how to go about it?
Yes, I’ve always had very clear goals regarding my academic career. Consequently, I spent several terms in the US during my medical studies and also obtained US degrees, which widened the range of my professional options. I married when I was 25 years old, which means I learned to walk a tightrope between career and family early in my professional life. Nevertheless, during my working life I was also forced to adjust my career path. For example, if you had asked me about my career goals ten years ago I would have said, without hesitation: an academic chair. Based on my academic performance, I was certain that I would be able to reach that goal and therefore went for it in a straight line. Unfortunately, in Germany, to be appointed professor always requires a change of university. That makes it difficult, even for men. This kind of decision often comes up at a time when you are making family commitments. Then you have to carefully consider the pros and cons of a change, whether and how you will deal with it and whether it’s worth your while. Then, all of a sudden, on the road you are travelling – which had been straight – you reach an intersection with many roads going in many directions. In my case, one of the road signs said USA, where physicians have many interesting career opportunities. When I reached this intersection I set a priority – and that priority was my family. Life has too many facets to make decisions from only perspective. The challenge is to be creative and also look to the left and right of your road, because that’s where the solution leading to your goal might be found
23.11.2007
