The tackling of obstacles to motherhood could future-proof the medical workforce, researchers have suggested after a study highlighted the challenges family planning and responsibilities can pose for women doctors.The most recent figures from the Irish Medical Council show almost half of doctors working in Ireland are women, with this proportion being higher among younger clinicians.However, the study by University of Galway researchers found there were a number of obstacles facing these doctors, including difficulties arranging maternity leave, opting for “family friendly” specialities and struggling to balance fertility treatment and work.The survey, supported by the Medical Protection Society Foundation, questioned more than 770 women doctors, including those with experiences of infertility, pregnancy loss or complications, and with children of all ages.Sixty-nine per cent of respondents felt their maternity leave created a burden for colleagues. Fewer than half (47 per cent) found it easy to arrange maternity leave with their training programme, while the same percentage were unhappy with the duration of their leave.A further 59 per cent of respondents felt family considerations had influenced their career paths. This was particularly the case among GPs – a speciality often considered more “family friendly” than others, such as surgery. Crucially, among the women doctors who reported fertility issues and had sought treatment, 86 per cent reported overall difficulty in navigating treatment while working as a doctor.Researchers said the findings, published in BMC Women’s Health journal, suggest more could be done to support women doctors in raising families while continuing to thrive professionally.Dr Sinéad Lydon, from the University of Galway’s Medicine and Motherhood research team, said the project explored how balancing motherhood and a career impacted women doctors, their families, their practice and, ultimately, their ability to sustain a career in medicine.“We want to initiate a national conversation on fertility, family planning, pregnancy and motherhood among women doctors, and its relationship to doctor wellbeing, recruitment and retention,” she said.“Crucial insights have emerged into some of the key issues that will need to be addressed – for example, better supporting those experiencing infertility, ensuring that training in any speciality is possible for women doctors with family commitments, and removing the challenges around arranging and enjoying maternity leave.”Lydon said identifying and removing barriers “will be vital for women doctors, but also in retaining passionate and skilled doctors in Irish health service”.Prof Gozie Offiah, chair of the Medical Protection Society Foundation, the research arm of the organisation that indemnifies doctors, said gaining a deeper understanding of the complexity of motherhood for women doctors, and how they can be better supported, is “long overdue” and is a challenge the profession “can no longer afford to overlook”.