23, married with kid -- should I say this on my PS?

[dillydally]

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I'm 23 and am married with a 2 month old child. This obviously keeps me busy, but I still managed to get a 4.0 this semester (as I do every semester), get a 36P on the MCAT, and work part time. Originally, in my PS I mentioned this and talked about how this proves I'm very responsible and can handle stress. My pre-health adviser, however, strongly encouraged me to not mention me having children so early, as it implies I am irresponsible and would have challenges in medical school.

What do you think?

 

[Appless]

I'm 23 and am married with a 2 month old child. This obviously keeps me busy, but I still managed to get a 4.0 this semester (as I do every semester), get a 36P on the MCAT, and work part time. Originally, in my PS I mentioned this and talked about how this proves I'm very responsible and can handle stress. My pre-health adviser, however, strongly encouraged me to not mention me having children so early, as it implies I am irresponsible and would have challenges in medical school.

What do you think?

assuming you are not trolling, its only going to help not hurt you.

 

[FIREitUP]

:troll:

 

[morning]

Every time I say it someone on SDN might not be a troll, it usually is. However, premedical advisors are IRL trolls and so I can fully believe this is something that was actually said.

 

[FIREitUP]

Every time I say it someone on SDN might not be a troll, it usually is. However, premedical advisors are IRL trolls and so I can fully believe this is something that was actually said.

he got a 4.0 just like he does every semester, he doesn't need our advice.

 

[dillydally]

So I had to look up what trolling meant (thank you wikipedia), but my question is genuine. Sorry to sound high and mighty with the "4.0 every semester" line, just thought it was relevant information to my question.

 

[morning]

he got a 4.0 just like he does every semester, he doesn't need our advice.

Weird, I automatically thought dillydally was female. Wonder what this says about our subconscious mindsets? 😛

 

[vc7777]

Hello Dilldally!

Being a parent before applying to medical school definitely puts you into the realm of "non-traditional" - regardless of your age.

You should really check out the nontrad forum. There are lot's of parents (younger than you and older than you) applying to medical school on our forum there.

PM me directly if you have particular questions/concerns about being a parent during med school applications. (I start medical school in a month and have 3 kids - my first when I was younger than you).

The short answer is: Absolutely, you should include it, as it is a very large component of who you are and who you will be during school.

EDIT: Also, I forgot to mention that being married at a young age is pertinent as well.

 

[Longshanks]

How the heck does maintaining strong grades and supporting family flag someone as irresponsible? Maybe your advisor needs to leave his prejudices and assumptions at home and not judge his students in this manner.

This shouldn't be left out of your PS/application. It is something that defines you, and IMHO demonstrates dedication, motivation, and focus that you can keep this all together and succeed - great maturity for a young age.

Congrats OP and good luck.

 

[Geekchick921]

You sound a lot like me. Personally, I think if anything, it shows responsibility, maturity, and the ability to multi-task well.

 

[dillydally]

OK, thanks for the support everyone. I think I just need to find a good way to word it on my PS. It definitely shouldn't be the main theme, but worth mentioning.

 

[Geekchick921]

OK, thanks for the support everyone. I think I just need to find a good way to word it on my PS. It definitely shouldn't be the main theme, but worth mentioning.

I'm having that problem as well. Good luck!

 

[long]

Being married and having a kid was a big part of my PS when I applied and I got in with MUCH less than a 4.0. Your adviser is an idiot.

 

[the humming sea]

While I agree with everyone on this forum that you advisor is an idiot. I did get asked in an interview this past cycle why I had gotten married so young (it was all very unprofessional and rare). The doctor definitely was implying that at 23 I wouldn't have time for a wife while I was in medical school.

Eventually I got frustrated and straight up asked him if he was married when he was in school and he mentioned that he had 2 kids when he started!

You also have to factor into the story that he was honestly probably 85.

 

[softmed]

I disagree with everyone here. Your adviser may have said it wrong though.

I do not think you'll be pre-judged for having a kid early. However, some people on the adcom may question whether you will have time to be a parent, spouse, and a medical student. I know there are many people in medical school with kids, and I know adcoms know this, but I also know that people often leave out their personal lives (such as children) when they apply for a job.

I'm really just guessing though. I'd go to the non-trad board and talk to them about it. Most of us are just premeds with no experience in the matter at all.

 

[jenkim]

whatever you feel is right

 

[cbrons]

I'm 23 and am married with a 2 month old child. This obviously keeps me busy, but I still managed to get a 4.0 this semester (as I do every semester), get a 36P on the MCAT, and work part time. Originally, in my PS I mentioned this and talked about how this proves I'm very responsible and can handle stress. My pre-health adviser, however, strongly encouraged me to not mention me having children so early, as it implies I am irresponsible and would have challenges in medical school.

What do you think?

As long as you're not grifting on welfare, I think most people would admire you, me especially. But maybe they'll wonder whether you'll have the time to devote to your studies. Other than that I'd like to mention that most so called prehealth advisors (that I've met anyway) don't know what they're talking about.

Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

 

[Longshanks]

I disagree with everyone here. Your adviser may have said it wrong though.

I do not think you'll be pre-judged for having a kid early. However, some people on the adcom may question whether you will have time to be a parent, spouse, and a medical student. I know there are many people in medical school with kids, and I know adcoms know this, but I also know that people often leave out their personal lives (such as children) when they apply for a job.

I'm really just guessing though. I'd go to the non-trad board and talk to them about it. Most of us are just premeds with no experience in the matter at all.

So, the OP demonstrates that he/she can maintain a 4.0 GPA, score a 36 MCAT, while working a part-time job on top of everything else, supporting a family, being a responsible citizen and you think an ADCOM would question whether they have the time to be a medical student? I wish I had half the time-management skills as the OP; probably most students wish they did.

 

[Coug42]

I have 2 kids and I put it in my PS. It only came up in positive ways in my interviews.

 

[KPCOFGS]

Wait, I'm sorry--this is totally irrelevant and not helpful at all, but are you a guy or a girl? I'm intrigued by the fact that I assumed you were a guy with no real reason to do so. I'm curious if my instincts were totally out of whack.

 

[dillydally]

Time to satisfy everyone's curiosity: I am male.

 

[familyaerospace]

My personal statement has one sentence that talks about my partner and kids (I have 3 stepkids, 1 biological kid). I didn't want it to be the focus of my personal statement story and I only really mentioned them because that knowledge was relevant to part of my "Why Medicine" story.

 

[MrCheetah]

I disagree with everyone here. Your adviser may have said it wrong though.

I do not think you'll be pre-judged for having a kid early. However, some people on the adcom may question whether you will have time to be a parent, spouse, and a medical student. I know there are many people in medical school with kids, and I know adcoms know this, but I also know that people often leave out their personal lives (such as children) when they apply for a job.

I'm really just guessing though. I'd go to the non-trad board and talk to them about it. Most of us are just premeds with no experience in the matter at all.

I second this. You have great statistics and will probably get in somewhere great, regardless of if you bring this up or not. I think that your downside here is greater than your upside and that you'll be exposing yourself to an unnecessary risk that an adcom member will think you won't have enough time for medical school while being a parent. If you had more medicore statstics I'd suggest going for it, but, unless something else is deficient in your application, you seem to be a lock to gain acceptance assuming you don't mention it, so I don't see why bringing that up is a necessity.

 

[jm192]

It's really weak sauce that every time someone has a question that isn't "how do I enter my name on AMCAS," someone calls out TROLL.

Some people do really well in terms of grades and MCAT. Does that mean they shouldn't be allowed to ask advice as well? We should look down on that?



To the OP---having a kid early may show immaturity. But everyone has immature moments. If you've been the mature stand up father, and you've been there to raise the child, and bought and changed diapers, and just been a positive in the child's life-----no one is going to shun you for that. I can't seriously imagine a medical school saying, oh this guy had to raise a kid, he might make a mistake. They're going to realize your mature has only grown, and that you can probably handle alot more than most people.

I think with a 4.0 and a 36 is going to get you alot of interviews regardless of situation. But mentioning this I highly doubt is going to hurt you.

 

[RynoTheGuy]

I'm 23 and am married with a 2 month old child. This obviously keeps me busy, but I still managed to get a 4.0 this semester (as I do every semester), get a 36P on the MCAT, and work part time. Originally, in my PS I mentioned this and talked about how this proves I'm very responsible and can handle stress. My pre-health adviser, however, strongly encouraged me to not mention me having children so early, as it implies I am irresponsible and would have challenges in medical school.

What do you think?

your supervisor is an idiot to be honest.

I have a close friend who sits on a medical school admitting board. I have two children (26 yrs. old and married for 4 years) and I have asked him the same question. He told me that if anything it helps, ESPECIALLY since you can keep your grades high. It shows you can handle the rigors of medical school. There is nothing immature about having children- starting a family with your spouse is a highly personal decision, and medical school admitting committees will understand and respect that- far from considering it "immature and irresponsible". It may not be a massive help that will catapult you to the front of the acceptance line, but it will absolutely not hurt you. As I stated before, your advisor is pretty far off base with his comment.

 

[long]

I still don't get how being married and having a kid would ever show that you're immature. That connection seems completely ridiculous to me.

 

[riceman04]

Being married and having a kid was a big part of my PS when I applied and I got in with MUCH less than a 4.0. Your adviser is an idiot.

yep most advisors simply like to talk out of their arse on a daily basis!

Having a kid in med school will, UNDOUBTEDLY, be very difficult! You will definitely be very dependent on your spouse to help carry the burden. I had three classmates with kids. One decided to decelerate (she had the baby like two weeks before orientation began), but the other two are doing quite well. One is even getting ready to have his thrid child!

But shaq would probably deem him immature and UNFIT to be a medical student...see below

 

[Shaq]

you really have your work cut out for you.

i think it really depends on how you present this fact to an adcom. if you just do it to get pity points, it isnt going to work.

on the other hand a lot of people are going to raise the question of why you chose to have a child so early, given the field you want to go into. i'd be ready to answer that question.

i wouldn't focus on your parenthood in your personal statement. a lot of times secondary apps have a space where you can tell the adcoms about some unusual circumstance you face. this may be the best place to put this information.

i would focus your PS on why you want to go into medicine and how your academic experiences and extracurricular activities make you a good applicant.

 

[Shaq]

probably because having a kid by age 23 and wanting to go into medicine sounds naive, as if someone doesn't understand the rigors of medical training and the strain it places on family life. add that to the meager finances of a full-time student, that is a recipe for disaster if you have a kid. thats why it sounds immature. as a medical student im surprised you can't see that

 

[riceman04]

probably because having a kid by age 23 and wanting to go into medicine sounds naive, as if someone doesn't understand the rigors of medical training and the strain it places on family life. add that to the meager finances of a full-time student, that is a recipe for disaster if you have a kid. thats why it sounds immature. as a medical student im surprised you can't see that

why am I not surprised!...LOL @ you and your existence......but then again you are doing what you know how to do best...and that is being the"annoying premed" who has an opinion about everything, even things of which he most likely knows NOTHING about!

Keep it shaq...someone should force you to change your name to "Wack"

FAIL...once again!!!

 

[searun]

I would estimate that 20 to 25 percent of the students in my third year med school class are the children of physicians. I doubt that anyone on the adcom comittee will be shocked or surprised that med students and doctors have sex and procreate or that there are med school applicants who have children.

This will not surprise, or shock anyone. People who have babies do go to med school, everywhere, all the time. We do not live in 1954. In fact, med schools have day care centers. Babies and toddlers are very common. Quite modern, isn't it?

 

[morning]

probably because having a kid by age 23 and wanting to go into medicine sounds naive, as if someone doesn't understand the rigors of medical training and the strain it places on family life. add that to the meager finances of a full-time student, that is a recipe for disaster if you have a kid. thats why it sounds immature. as a medical student im surprised you can't see that

IRL Shaq has like 38 kids and would fully support the OP's fecundity. Shame on you!