This Couple is Proof That Doctors Can Have Kids Early in Their Careers

Drs. Raynald and April Torres share how they managed to have kids early while building their careers as doctors.

The demands of becoming a doctor in the Philippines can be quite intense. However, by cultivating effective time management skills, seeking support from loved ones, and making intentional choices to prioritize both professional and personal aspirations, it’s also possible for doctors to start a family or have kids early in their careers. Just take a look at Dr. Raynald Torres and Dr. April Torres, the power couple behind The Raynald Center.

Dr. Raynald has been a cosmetic surgeon for almost two decades while his wife, Dr. April, is a licensed dermatologist. The two have been happily married for 23 years. “April was my classmate in medical school and we got married right after graduation. We have one son and one daughter. Our son Nick is 22 years old and is currently taking up his University education in Auckland, New Zealand. Meanwhile, our daughter Bianca is 18. She’s currently in Grade 12 in School of Fashion and the Arts,” Dr. Raynald shares.

Finding a good balance as doctors with kids

“As parents, we started out quite early in ‘doctor standards,'” Dr. Raynald recalls. “My son was born when I was a medical intern and my daughter was born during our last year of residency. During the first years of our medical careers, raising children was quite a challenge. It was a balance of giving our best to our training and career development and even more to taking care of our family.”

As with any couple working hard to make their marriage work, compromises had to be made. But the passion fueled both doctors in working together to build successful medical careers, so they could also be the perfect partners in raising and nurturing their children.

“April had to take some time off from training while giving birth and raising a newborn. I had to sacrifice some time away from them because of the demands of going on duty as a resident. But after less than a year, April went back to residency training.  We took turns with our responsibilities as parents. And if both of us were unavailable, grandmas and siblings were an automatic go-to.”

Dr. Raynald vividly remembers the time he missed out on one of his children’s birthday parties because of an emergency surgery at the hospital. However, as the years passed, their chosen specialty gave them the luxury of not dealing with emergencies anymore. They had a shared schedule to take care of both family matters and their medical practice.

“Our approach to handling family and work for the past two decades I think is the ideal formula for how we were able to achieve the success we have had both in the business and as parents.”

Partners for life

In a seamless fusion of love and entrepreneurship, Dr. Raynald and Dr. April joined forces to build a successful business together. They exemplify a remarkable synergy between their married and professional lives. But they’re also the first ones to admit that running a business with your spouse has both advantages and disadvantages.

“The main advantage is we have a strong foundation of trust and working with each other. We know each other’s strengths and weaknesses and we have learned through the years to rely on each other and work together,” says Dr. Raynald. “Respect and sharing a common vision has greatly helped us grow our business. Since we started out as a couple, good communication has never been a problem.”

“The only disadvantage of running a business together is the lack of boundaries and some power struggles along the way. However, even before the business was started, a well-planned role for each one and setting clear boundaries between work and personal life greatly reduced the chances of any friction happening.”

Separating professional and personal issues is another challenge that both doctors often encounter. But there are rules that they strictly follow — such as never bringing to work any personal issue and vice versa. “Like any couple, when we have disagreements at home that are not settled and we need to go to work, we have learned to leave those differences behind temporarily and go to the clinic as if nothing happened. Then we just settle things when we get off. The same goes at home. We never bring any professional disagreements to the dinner table. It is easier said than done but with experience, we have been able to make it work pretty well.”

“No couple is perfect, and a couple in business together is even further away from perfection. However, it is how these challenges are dealt with that keeps us moving forward.”

Lessons in parenthood

During the first few years that both Dr. Raynald and Dr. April became parents, they felt some guilt because they could not give all of their time to their children. “But we made up for it by trying to make our limited family time more meaningful,” says Dr. Raynald. “When my kids became teenagers, I realized that our balance of dedication to our careers and family set an example to them.”

Unconsciously, this ingrained in both Nick and Bianca that work and career are two important aspects to a person’s development. “When children grow up seeing their parents dedication — getting up every morning to go to work — they will set their own standards with their views of work and career. The kids also turned out to be more independent and street smart. When my son took a part-time job during his university studies, I felt so proud when he told me that his boss was so impressed with his hard work. I believe that his strong drive was the fruit of parents setting a good example.”

Another lesson that both doctors learned is to make their children comfortable talking to them about their experiences outside of home. “Get to know their day, their friends, their small marites moments. Always talk about values and how to interact with the opposite sex. This will lead them to approach you for advice when needed. Values start at home and will be radiated to their peers. Treating them as adults will make them act like adults.”

Now that both Nick and Bianca are all grown up, Dr. Raynald looks forward to the day they’ll be ready to stand on their own. “I see that their success in life will be our success as parents. When that day comes, I know that my role as a parent has been fulfilled.”

Read more stories about doctors and kids:

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