The Medical Sisterhood: Calendars, Clinics, and Chaos, With Amy Chen, MD

Welcome to The Medical Sisterhood!

In this episode of The Medical Sisterhood, host Mona Shahriari, MD, assistant clinical professor of dermatology at the Yale University School of Medicine and associate director of clinical trials at Central Connecticut Dermatology Research, is joined by her colleague and practice partner Amy Y. Chen, MD, a fellowship-trained dermatologist at Central Connecticut Dermatology and Middlesex Health. Together, the 2 physicians open up about the shared challenges of navigating demanding medical careers while raising young children, offering candid insights and practical strategies for clinician mothers.

Chen begins by describing the annual “September chaos,” when the back-to-school season collides with the unrelenting pace of clinical practice. With late school buses, shifting sports schedules, and unpredictable logistics, she stresses the importance of flexibility and organization. Her solution has been to centralize all family activities in a color-coded Google Calendar—managed solely by her—to reduce confusion, alongside weekly index cards posted at home outlining pickup and drop-off duties. These small systems, she explains, help her family maintain order amid the flux of school and extracurricular commitments.

The conversation turns to the “mental load” of motherhood, a burden that often defaults to women despite the presence of supportive partners. Chen candidly admits that she frequently wakes in the night worrying about forgotten school supplies or missed deadlines. Shahriari likens this experience to having dozens of browser tabs open at once—some frozen, some endlessly buffering—yet all demanding attention. Both acknowledge that this invisible labor can lead to burnout, underscoring the need for physician mothers to carve out moments of rest and transition.

Chen shares that she finds small windows of “me time” in unexpected places: sitting quietly in her car after work, scrolling social media before bed, or simply allowing herself to stare at the wall during her children’s practices. Shahriari echoes the importance of these mental resets, describing how she switches deliberately between her “dermatologist hat” and her “mom hat” to remain present in each role.

On parenting philosophy, Chen advises relinquishing the pursuit of perfection—accepting mismatched outfits, less-than-Pinterest-worthy lunches, or occasional scheduling mishaps as inevitable trade-offs in a busy life. For her, the non-negotiables remain high-quality patient care and being present for her children’s important moments.

Both physicians reflect on how motherhood has deepened their empathy for patients, particularly those juggling similar demands. They close by reminding listeners that self-compassion and grace are essential: even for high-achieving women in medicine, it is both normal and necessary to let some things slide.

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