It’s daunting enough to begin a medical residency program, reporting for a pressure-packed new job in an unfamiliar place.
But that’s not all Dr. Isherpreet Shergill had weighing on his mind when he arrived to start his residency in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at JPS Health Network. His wife and a fellow dentist, Roop, who stayed behind in Connecticut because she was nine months pregnant with their first child, had a due date of June 18, the same day Isherpreet was to start orientation in Fort Worth.
“It was difficult to be away when I knew my wife was expecting the baby to come at any time,” Isherpreet said. “But some things are beyond your control. All I could do was try to stay focused on my job here and wait for the call.”
He barely had time to be introduced to his new colleagues when Isherpreet got the word that his bride was in labor. According to Holly Portwood, project coordinator of the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Residence Program at JPS, Isherpreet arrived on a Monday. On Wednesday, his wife called to say the baby was coming. He jetted across the country and managed to make it to his wife’s bedside before their new daughter was born. Weighing 7 lbs., 10 oz., she was named Daneen.
“I knew the baby was going to arrive while I was just starting at JPS,” Isherpreet said. “But everyone here put me at ease about it. They kept telling me that family comes first and the rest will work itself out. I am very grateful for that.”
This isn’t the first time a new resident added a family member early in their residency program. Portwood said she remembers a baby being born in August in recent years, about a month after the doctor arrived. But she couldn’t recall one coming in the first few days of the program. She also remembered that a resident a couple of years ago had to miss work because his child required treatment for leukemia. She said the rest of the staff pitched in to make sure patients were seen while that doctor took care of his family.
“In some places, the resident being unavailable at such a key point of their time at a hospital might be a problem,” Portwood said. “But we have five in our program at one time, so we have a lot more flexibility than a place that only has one resident working for them. We’re able to work around it.”
Shortly after the baby was born, Isherpreet winged his way back to Fort Worth. He said he shifted from feeling guilty about having to leave his new job to feeling guilty that he had to leave his wife and baby behind. He said, fortunately, she is staying with her parents who are helping out until Roop and Daneen are cleared to travel in about six weeks. Then they’ll join Isherpreet in Texas.
When Roop arrives, Isherpreet knows he’ll owe her some favors in return for her taking care of their newborn daughter without his help. He’s trying to catch up with his sleep in anticipation of the approaching late nights when he’ll be the one rocking the baby back to sleep.
“Until then, I’m getting pictures every day and staying in touch,” Isherpreet said. “I’m trying to stay busy with work to help me to pass the days. We know that my being here now is what’s best for our family in the long run.”