How to find work-life balance in your medical career

Medicine demands intense training, long hours and sacrifice, with work-life balance for doctors structurally hard to achieve. Alongside clinical pressures, many are also juggling children, ageing parents, and a growing desire for life outside work.

A shift is underway. Younger doctors are increasingly factoring lifestyle into career decisions, including specialty choice, while those further along their careers are reassessing their priorities.

Here, doctors share what they find tough in terms of work-life balance, what's worked, and what they'd like to see change.

Is work-life balance improving? 

Doctor burnout has long plagued medicine, and despite growing flexibility, it persists stubbornly.

AHPRA's 2024 survey of 25 752 health practitioners found most want to remain in their profession, but more than one in 10 are unsure or plan to leave within a year, with mental burnout a key reason why.

RACGP's Health of the Nation 2025 found nearly 69% of GPs — a specialty with more flexibility than most hospital-based roles — still report burnout, driven by long hours, admin burdens and unfunded care.

Still, there's been progress across the industry: more part-time work and job-sharing, flexible fellowship pathways, and greater awareness of burnout and family commitments.

Dr Sarah Arachchi, a paediatrician with experience in both hospital and clinic settings, believes doctors are better supported than before.

"Doctors talking about burnout has raised awareness. It still occurs, but there are better processes and more information than in my training years."

Dr Sally Parsons, clinical director and medical advisor at Avant Mutual, agrees there's more flexibility now, but says new demands have also added complexity.

"There's so much more regulatory scrutiny. That can be really difficult when you're trying to deal with your clinical load and do the best for your patients."

The barriers to finding balance

Gruelling training years set a demanding precedent, says Dr Arachchi.

"You don't have much choice in the rotations you're given — you have to meet college requirements plus study for exams. I had to live regionally for 12 months, working full time — often on call — with a child. It was probably the hardest thing I've ever done."

Even once qualified, doctors must fulfil CPD requirements — typically 50 hours per year — on top of conferences, unpaid admin and clinical work. 

"It's a rewarding career, but I don't think people are aware of what it involves when they go into it," said Dr Arachchi.

In general practice, GP Dr Dina Elhalawani blames burnout on the Medicare system. Bulk billing ties revenue entirely to the Medicare Benefits Schedule rebate, making volume the only lever.

"The system doesn't reward GPs who want to spend more time doing proper care," she said. "That pressure to produce an income makes work-life balance harder."

Juggling parenting and caring

Managing a high clinical load and unpredictable hours alongside parenting or caring leaves doctors at even higher risk of burnout. 

A 2020 systematic review of the experiences of mothers who are doctors found women often delayed starting a family to prioritise career advancement, believing motherhood would slow their progression.

Dr Stacey Hokke, Senior Research Fellow at La Trobe's Judith Lumley Centre, has studied parents' experiences of work-family balance across industries. She says satisfaction hinges on flexibility and supportive management — working from home, flexible hours, purchased leave and part-time work, backed by managers willing to make them work.

"Parents need those conversations with their managers, and they need workplace champions who recognise the benefits of family-friendly practice — for wellbeing and productivity alike," she said.

Parental leave for doctors is a patchwork. All eligible parents can access the federal Paid Parental Leave scheme — up to 26 weeks at minimum wage. Public hospital doctors typically get an extra 14 weeks through their state health system, while those in private practice often have nothing more. 

Maternity leave for doctors mid-training comes with added complexity, since it can extend the path to fellowship.

Dr Arachchi recently stopped working in emergency, finding shift work alongside parenting too difficult. She advises doctors to understand their hospital's requirements early — will your job be held open, and how does leave affect training? On return, is flexible or part-time work available, with breastfeeding rooms and childcare support for doctors?

"Hospitals are getting better at supporting women, but it's not always structured," she said. "Knowing part-time arrangements are available would definitely help."

Choosing the right speciality 

Not all pathways offer the same lifestyle. When it comes to doctor specialties with the best work-life balance, GP and clinic-based roles like paediatrics, dermatology and radiology tend to offer more flexible hours than surgery, emergency and obstetrics, which also carry heavier on-call demands.

Work-life balance is now a genuine factor in choosing a speciality. Almost half of GPs (47%) would recommend general practice as a career, up from 38% in 2023 — likely due, in part, to that flexibility.

Dr Elhalawani originally wanted to pursue obstetrics and gynaecology but chose general practice instead for that very reason.

"I work one day at home doing telehealth and the rest at the clinic. As a GP, the balance is doable — work is generally within normal hours, and there's flexibility," she said.

Dr Arachchi chose paediatrics for similar reasons. 

"Most specialists in clinics have set start and finish times. I definitely have a better work-life balance now," she said.

But passion can justify the trade-off, she adds. "If someone has a real passion for a surgical speciality, they'll accept the sacrifices, knowing in advance what it involves."

Fixing the system

There's no simple solution to achieving work-life balance, but insiders say structural change could help.

Dr Arachchi would like to see hospitals ranked publicly against pillars like family-friendliness, flexibility, mental health support and occupational safety.

"If that information was public, they'd be forced to change their processes to retain doctors," she said.

She'd also like to see emergency back-up childcare in hospitals, like the Mayo Clinic's Backup Center in the US, which lets staff bring children on short notice. 

"I haven't seen that in the Australian system, where emergency childcare is a big problem." 

A 2013 study underlines the importance of on-site childcare in medical settings, linking it to better care and fewer lost work days.

In general practice, Dr Elhalawani believes higher Medicare rebates for complex patients and longer consultations would ease the pressure to churn through patients to stay profitable. 

Prioritising yourself

Balance isn't only a structural issue — it also requires personal discipline.

Dr Parsons says Avant advises doctors on setting boundaries and managing stress through its health and wellbeing hub. Your EAP is another good option if you're struggling, she says.

Dr Arachchi recommends doctors build good work-life balance habits before they even start medicine, and maintain them throughout. 

"Prioritise your sleep and personal health, keep hobbies outside medicine, and leave at the end of your shift."

She also advises doctors to stay on top of tasks and admin as they arise, and know when to ask for help.

Connection matters too, she adds — through mentors, conferences, AMA events, even Facebook groups.

"Talking to other doctors and having a good mentor who supports you is so helpful," she added.

"Medicine is a team effort."