Baby coming 3 weeks before latest step 1 date

[Gunninforpeds]

Hi there, I recently found out that my wife is pregnant and the due date is right in the middle of my dedicated study time next spring. We have a month of guided board prep and then a month of self-study at my school. I'm trying to decide how I should play this and I would love input from anyone who has experience (or just an opinion).

My current thinking is that I should either
--A: take step 1 really early, putting it at least 2 weeks before the due date so that in case the baby comes early I'll still be already done (plus I can be there for the old lady in the run up to the big day) or
--B: schedule it on the last possible day so I can prepare, then take a break to be with them for 3-4 days around the birth, then get back onto the study wagon for however long I have (hopefully at least a week) before the exam.

The problem with plan A is that I'd have to start preparing hardcore during the last block of M2 year. The problem with B is that I won't really know if the baby will come early or late or on time, and in any case there will be a big interruption in the middle of my study period.

What do you guys think I should do? If it changes things at all, I want to do as well as I can (hoping for 250+).

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[sazerac]

Option A: take the damn exam early. None of the negatives to option A are really negatives in the long run, and once the baby is out, you will be worthless for a couple of months. Sign up for easier non-core rotations if you can during this time.

 

[notbobtrustme]

Doing well on the boards/rotations is far more important than any help you can give your wife for the first few months. Tell her to sack-up.

I've already had a baby before starting med school and frankly, fathers are pretty damn useless when it comes to actual childcare.

 

[MRSAful Fate]

I went through this very predicament just a few months ago. I'm a DO student, signed up for both exams early in our dedicated study time (3 weeks in to our 6 weeks of study time). I took the COMLEX on time, but my wife went into labor and I had to postpone my USMLE. I tried to study as much as I could after winter break of 2nd year since I knew the crunch was coming and busted my hump during the three weeks. After the baby came I spent some quality time with my wife and little one then picked it back up for 8 days before taking the USMLE.

Pros of getting it done early: You know your timeline, less distractions.
Cons of getting it done early: Less time (obviously), moody wife.

Pros of doing it later: More overall time.
Cons of later: Distractions (family, new routine, parenthood, etc), your wife will be in pain and needing support, little one is awesome and you will want to spend time with them, no sleep.

For reference, I got a 650 COMLEX/240 USMLE. You can make your goal of 250 but you're going to have to work harder and plan better than your classmates.

I also contribute a lot in regards to taking care of the little one and around the house, everyone's situation is different. Your wife might be cool with you doing Uworld questions in the waiting room while she delivers and reading FA while she changes diapers and sleeps 4 hours a night but that wouldn't fly in my marriage.

 

[Brain Bucket]

Depends on your wife. If mine were cool with it, I'd send her to her Mother's during the dedicated study period. I'd still see her every night for a few minutes. Take flowers or chocolate or something, but don't kid yourself, it really is time to get your head in the game.

I totally don't get how you managed this genius move, though. Did you not go over the reproductive system yet?


MRSA, I haven't seen your post in the experiences thread. Tsk Tsk.

 

[Gunninforpeds]

Thanks for the input guys. So far I'm leaning towards taking it early, and starting my prep now.

I totally don't get how you managed this genius move, though. Did you not go over the reproductive system yet?

🙂

I went through this very predicament just a few months ago. I'm a DO student, signed up for both exams early in our dedicated study time (3 weeks in to our 6 weeks of study time). I took the COMLEX on time, but my wife went into labor and I had to postpone my USMLE. I tried to study as much as I could after winter break of 2nd year since I knew the crunch was coming and busted my hump during the three weeks. After the baby came I spent some quality time with my wife and little one then picked it back up for 8 days before taking the USMLE.

For reference, I got a 650 COMLEX/240 USMLE. You can make your goal of 250 but you're going to have to work harder and plan better than your classmates.

A horror story with a happy ending.

 

[Phloston]

As soon as that baby is delivered, you are going to have a myriad of nascent priorities that will completely overshadow Step1.

So take the Step1 before she delivers.

 

[Phloston]

Doing well on the boards/rotations is far more important than any help you can give your wife for the first few months. Tell her to sack-up.

I've already had a baby before starting med school and frankly, fathers are pretty damn useless when it comes to actual childcare.

Entertaining quote here. A father might be useless initially, but his mind won't be on the exam for the first several days/weeks after the baby is born.

 

[Brain Bucket]

Entertaining quote here. A father might be useless initially, but his mind won't be on the exam for the first several days/weeks after the baby is born.

You can't really do much for your daughter besides let her play with your hair or attend her
'tea parties'.

For a son, you can be of some use starting at about 6-8 and really making a difference at about 11-13.

 

[MRSAful Fate]

As a new or soon to be father there are a million things you can do to be useful.

-Help put together the nursery.
-Figure out the car seat.
-Know the birth plan and communicate it to hospital staff.
-Make sure your wife is getting medications/attention when she needs it during the birth process.
-Coach breathing.
-Police family members and keep them from overwhelming your exhausted wife.
-Make sure your wife takes her medications on schedule postpartum and help her around since she's going to be in pain.
-Love on your baby.
-Make sure they meet developmental milestones (tummy time, etc).
-Bathe your child.
-Dress your child.
-Swaddle your child.
-Change diapers.
-Clean the breast pump.
-Take on chores your wife used to do so she can nurse.
-Laundry. So much laundry.
-Soothe your fussy infant.
-If your wife is pumping or you are feeding formula you can take some night shifts.
-Get your wife a glass of water at 3AM when she's up nursing.
-Take the child to pediatrician visits.
-Help figure out the childcare situation.
-Clip those razor sharp fingernails.
-Go pick up some diapers from the store.
-Etc...

You can choose to be useless but it's certainly not a necessity.

 

[notbobtrustme]

As a new or soon to be father there are a million things you can do to be useful.

-Help put together the nursery.
-Figure out the car seat.
-Know the birth plan and communicate it to hospital staff.
-Make sure your wife is getting medications/attention when she needs it during the birth process.
-Coach breathing.
-Police family members and keep them from overwhelming your exhausted wife.
-Make sure your wife takes her medications on schedule postpartum and help her around since she's going to be in pain.
-Love on your baby.
-Make sure they meet developmental milestones (tummy time, etc).
-Bathe your child.
-Dress your child.
-Swaddle your child.
-Change diapers.
-Clean the breast pump.
-Take on chores your wife used to do so she can nurse.
-Laundry. So much laundry.
-Soothe your fussy infant.
-If your wife is pumping or you are feeding formula you can take some night shifts.
-Get your wife a glass of water at 3AM when she's up nursing.
-Take the child to pediatrician visits.
-Help figure out the childcare situation.
-Clip those razor sharp fingernails.
-Go pick up some diapers from the store.
-Etc...

You can choose to be useless but it's certainly not a necessity.

Most of those things are one-timers or a few minutes at most. The real intense **** is going to be on her since milk comes out of her breasts. I had the same mentality as above when my first one was born and I ended up playing GTA4 all week during my paternity leave.

 

[Brain Bucket]

As a new or soon to be father there are a million things you can do to be useful.

-Help put together the nursery.
-Figure out the car seat.
-Know the birth plan and communicate it to hospital staff.
-Make sure your wife is getting medications/attention when she needs it during the birth process.
-Coach breathing.
-Police family members and keep them from overwhelming your exhausted wife.
-Make sure your wife takes her medications on schedule postpartum and help her around since she's going to be in pain.
-Love on your baby.
-Make sure they meet developmental milestones (tummy time, etc).
-Bathe your child.
-Dress your child.
-Swaddle your child.
-Change diapers.
-Clean the breast pump.
-Take on chores your wife used to do so she can nurse.
-Laundry. So much laundry.
-Soothe your fussy infant.
-If your wife is pumping or you are feeding formula you can take some night shifts.
-Get your wife a glass of water at 3AM when she's up nursing.
-Take the child to pediatrician visits.
-Help figure out the childcare situation.
-Clip those razor sharp fingernails.
-Go pick up some diapers from the store.
-Etc...

You can choose to be useless but it's certainly not a necessity.

Lol.

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