Pharmacy School with young kids...

[emmiepharmd]

I know this nontraditional forum is mostly for pre-med students, but i was curious to know if anyone here has been a mom going through pharmacy school with young kids or knows someone who has? i am 31 with two pre-schoolers and i am hoping to go back for my pharmD next fall. i would love to talk to someone who has some perspective on how to balance school and family- i know there are a lot of threads about med school with families, but from what i can tell pharmacy school wouldn't be quite as intense...

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[2008orbust]

Hi there. Don't think that you are being ignored. You asked a pretty specific question and since most people here are older pre-med or med students, it may take a while to get a response.

I am a parent to two preschoolers, but I'm a medical student and not exactly sure how the situation translates to pharm. I'm sure there are some sililarities.

Good luck! James

 

[NYPharm99]

I know a few moms who are in pharmacy school. Many of them are from out of state so they have their mom and husband taking care of the kids while they are away. I know one single mom and she spends time with he daughter and is involved at school. With a lot of organization, it can be done. You may have to make a choice whether you want to get straight A's or whether you are ok getting some Bs and maybe Cs. You will need a network of supporing family and friends.
Best of luck

 

[emmiepharmd]

hey thanks to both of you for the advice/encouragement. i am sure it CAN be done, i guess i just wanted to hear stories of others' success...! i am going to continue to look around in the pharmacy forums too. thanks so much!

 

[calimed214]

I am currently a 4th year pharmacy student. There are several older students in my class that have done quite well in school while balancing kids & family life. One woman has a 5 year-old son and is also in the top 15% of our class. Another man has 4 kids all under the age of 12 and has done very well for himself in school. A couple of other classmates have also had children while in pharmacy school and have been able to pass their classes and 4th year rotations without any significant problems.

It's definitely doable. Most people study for a couple of hours a day after the kids are asleep. Or they get to campus an hour or two early in order to fit in study time. I know one mom in the class commutes by bus to campus. She spends the commute time hitting the books so that when she gets home, she can spend the rest of the day with her husband and children. The key is to be able to use any free time that you have in a focused & productive manner. A few hours of studying on most days of the week (as long as it's good studying) is sufficient for most people to be able to stay on top of the material and pass exams. Having a supportive husband or other family members that can watch your kids for you for an afternoon during the weekends in order to let you study also definitely helps.

 

[angelx99]

I wanted to let you know that I am a first year pharmacy student and I have 3 girls who are 5, 2, and 1. I attend the distance pathway program at Creighton University. It allows me to watch classes from home on my own time and work around my kids schedule. It has been hard and stressful at times but I was in the top 10% of my class last semester. It can be done!
Good luck to you! Let me know if you have any more questions!

 

[GatorGirl83]

I know this nontraditional forum is mostly for pre-med students, but i was curious to know if anyone here has been a mom going through pharmacy school with young kids or knows someone who has? i am 31 with two pre-schoolers and i am hoping to go back for my pharmD next fall. i would love to talk to someone who has some perspective on how to balance school and family- i know there are a lot of threads about med school with families, but from what i can tell pharmacy school wouldn't be quite as intense...

Hi emmiepharmd--I see you are in Orlando...I live in Oviedo, nearish to UCF and am applying to UF's Orlando Campus...my interview is next Friday on the 24th. I have two youngsters, ages 5 and 3, myself and have all the same concerns as you! My friend graduated from UF's Orlando Campus a few years ago and she did it with two kids, so I know it's not impossible!

 

[mlo]

One of my class-mates has 2 children of her own. She's in a 6 year program. She said it's tough but doable. Actually, she's ranked within the top 20% of the class while balancing a home life. She did run into a rough spot in the beginning of her pharmacy school career and even considered dropping out. She did credit her success in pharmacy school to a supportive husband and lots of baby sitters. Get ready to tuck your children in at night and hitting the books til early hours in the morning. Good luck. I think you'll do fine!