Thus, this is a cautionary tale for physicians and physician trainees. Give yourself the same consideration you give your patients. Keep up to date on your preventive care. Make the appointment for your annual well exam. Schedule your screening mammogram. Get that colonoscopy on the books. And follow up on your results.

I took a typical route through medical school, residency, and sub-specialty training. I didn’t finish my pediatric critical care training until I was 32. I moved back to my home state and, within a year, began a serious relationship. Like many others my age, I had not really talked about fertility preservation at that time.

I am sharing my story because infertility planning is not discussed with women or men in medicine. Yet our careers lead us to paths where many do not start families until four years after the average age of the general population (3). I would encourage training programs, including medical schools, residencies, and fellowships, to incorporate fertility preservation information in their available resources. Insurance packages should be transparent about their coverage of fertility preservation. This is not only true for our trainees, but also for our faculty.