HOW FAMILY INFLUENCES PRACTICE OF OBSTETRICS

PURPOSE To examine the influence of family, past and current, on marri ed women family physicians' and to understand why and how some women c ontinue to practise obstetrics. PARTICIPANTS Purposive sample of nine married women family physicians who currently practise obstetrics. MET HOD Qualitative in-depth interviews. FINDINGS Analysis identified four main influences of family on participants' practice of obstetrics: fa mily of origin, transitions in the life cycle, children, and the marit al relationship. CONCLUSIONS These women described how they combined t he roles of wife, mother, daughter, sister, and doctor. Family was a p owerful influence throughout their practice lives. Finding a balance b etween the demands of practice, particularly obstetrics, and family re lationships was an ongoing process. The process was also influenced by transitions in the life cycle.