LETTER
Physicians Married to Physicians
Cynda Ann Johnson, MD, and
Bruce E. Johnson, MD
15 April 1994 | Volume 120 Issue 8 | Page 697
TO THE EDITOR:
We read with interest the editorial [1] on dual-physician marriages because, as you note, "soon nearly half of all young physicians will be married to each other." As a married physician couple with two children whose academic jobs carry heavy clinical responsibility, we have found it difficult to study the uniqueness of this relationship here.
However, during a sabbatical in England, we studied the phenomenon of married doctor couples there [2, 3]. Although many of our findings also apply to married doctor couples in the United States, the system of postgraduate training in the United Kingdom usually requires several relocations and is clearly a detriment to women who generally defer to the husband's career. This tends to be by choice because these decisions are usually made during the prime child-bearing years.
Finally, our philosophy is that "whoever has the time does the work." We each have our favorite (or least repulsive) jobs, but to try to spread chores equally at all times is just another stressor. If both parties actively work toward continued success of the marriage, you don't have to count points.
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Author and Article Information
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University of Kansas Medical Center; Kansas City, KS 66160
1. Fletcher RH, Fletcher SW. Here come the couples (Editorial). Ann Intern Med. 1993; 119:628-30.
2. Johnson CA. Impact of the structure of medicine in Britain on the careers of women physicians. J Am Med Wom Assoc. 1993; 48:108-13.
3. Johnson CA, Johnson BE, Liese BS. Dual-doctor marriages: career development. Fam Med. 1992; 24:205-8.
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