Could Your Next Role Be as A Fertility Doctor?
With more than 15 years’ experience as a fertility recruiter, Fertility Talent’s founding director, Guy Stroud, has helped hundreds of fertility specialists find their perfect job, including embryologists, IVF nurses, and specialist fertility doctors. He shares the most common benefits that draw people to this captivating sector.
Many obstetricians and gynaecologists consider specialising in fertility treatments after completing their fellowship, and it’s easy to see why. Fertility doctors work with patients at a crucial point and perform the kind of miraculous work that truly changes lives, which can give them a real sense of meaning and high levels of gratification. Working with fertility doctors across different stages of their careers, they often tell me of a few key aspects of the industry that drew them to their role, and the benefits that keep them in it.
Emotional Connection to Their Work
One of the biggest benefits of the role, repeatedly shared with us by fertility doctors, is the incomparable fulfilment that comes with helping people to start a family. When each day your job involves supporting and guiding couples through one of the most challenging times in their life toward one of the most joyous, it brings an incredible amount of satisfaction to see their dreams of conception come true. Many fertility doctors stay in touch with their patients after treatment is complete, and many parents – myself included – never forget the fertility doctors who helped them through that time.
Better Work-Life Balance
As anybody in healthcare will tell you, achieving a manageable work-life balance can be one of the biggest problems for those in the industry. Fertility doctors work as hard as anyone else in healthcare, but the sub-sector does come with a few perks. Part-time roles tend to be a little more common in fertility than in other specialities and most fertility doctors will work few evenings and weekends – this means fertility doctors regularly report work-life balance as one of the main benefits of the speciality, with many experiencing regular shift patterns and daytime-only working for the first time in their careers!
Problem-Solving
Every fertility journey is different, and another satisfying part of the job doctors tell me about is the way each patient case can represent a new puzzle to solve. From identifying the underlying reasons behind fertility problems to figuring out which are the most effective treatments, fertility doctors are constantly presented with new and interesting challenges, and the work rarely feels stale.
Increased Earning Potential
Fertility doctors tend to be well-compensated for their important work. Salaries vary between employers, but many fertility doctors I’ve placed see significant uplifts in their salary when moving into the field, with the added ability to command higher rates after a few years in the role. In 2020, the Economic Research Institute estimated that a fully qualified fertility doctor’s salary averages about £145,000 per year, but can go significantly higher for senior roles. Money is rarely the main reason people choose to become fertility doctors, but it’s certainly a benefit.
A Rapidly Growing Market
The fertility industry is one of the fastest-growing sub-sectors in the healthcare industry, with 53,000 patients receiving IVF treatment in the UK in 2019, growing from fewer than 7,000 in 1991. The sector is expected to be worth £679 million by 2026 – double its value in 2018.
What’s more, this is a global trend, with investments experts estimating the U.S. will see over $1bn of new investment in fertility in 2022. This is a specialism where demand is only likely to grow in the foreseeable future, and is a great career move no matter where in the world you want to work.
Are you an obstetrician, gynaecologist or reproductive surgeon considering a career in fertility? Get in touch with Fertility Talent today to find out how we can help you take the next step in your career.