Help please!!!!

[HavanaGuy]

Hello everyone!! Please help me with advice, i'll appreciate it greatly. Here is the problem: My girlfriend and I attended many years of med school in Cuba and afetr coming to the US, we did some college and applied to off-shore med-schools. We just got accepted to the Ross program and to the St. George program, but in the later one they want us to do one more year of premeds with them in the island. We are going nuts, because we want the St. George program, but are concerned about our ages adn still non-existent kids because we don't want to have them after she is 35. I Know it's ways off, but since I am 30 and she is 26 now, I tell her that people do have kids in residency all the time. i hope this is true so that we can go to St' George (A better choice, I think).
Please shed some light on the issue of having kids while in residency...Is it possible? Can you delay your training for a couple of months? Whatever advice you have, i'll consider it.

Thank You very much

Axel

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[GreatPumpkin]

Practically everyone in my residency program has had a kid in the last 2 years. But, it would depend on the residency program on how easy that would be. But, programs are required to follow the family leave act just like other jobs. I am sure they all have some sort of maternity leave in all specialties. Your intern year would not be a great year to plan on having a child. But, besides that probably no problems.

 

[Winged Scapula]

As Rob notes, all US residency programs are required to honor the Family Leave Act and offer at least maternity leave or paternity leave to those qualified. You can delay your residency, take time off, etc. after the 12 weeks the Act offers.

However, the degree to which this will be accepted amongst your peers will obviously vary from program to program. Being allowed to take the time doesn't mean that your colleagues are going to like being on call more while you're gone, etc. Some residencies are more family friendly than others.

 

[HavanaGuy]

Thank you for your input guys! Another question: How many ghours average are worked in the later years of residency? I assume these are the better ones to have kids in!
Thanks!

 

[GreatPumpkin]

What type of residency and where? The question is too general for a good answer. In path during my programs last year you would work about 50 hours a week. But, the neurosurg folks here work about 100 hours a week.

 

[HavanaGuy]

GreatPumpkin, thanks a lot for taking the time.........Anyways for one thing we would be IMG's, and secondly we don't really like the competitive ones. If we are stigmatized when the time comes or get lower scores (hope not!! ) we will apply to FP or IM but if we could choose then I prefer Anesthesiology and she prefers Pathology (which I see is your specialty).

Thanks!!

 

[HavanaGuy]

Anybody????

 

[GreatPumpkin]

Gas and path would both be fairly easy to take some time off in during the later years. IM and FP will be a little tougher but still not really a problem. Residents in all specialties have children.

Your biggest problem is going to be matching. It is hard enough for IMGs, but you also need to couples match. Good luck.

 

[smackdaddy]

if you are choosing to have a baby between the last year of residency and the first year of practice, have the baby during the last year of residency. residencies are required to honor the familye leave act. you may have to extend residency if you choose to stay home longer than the time they are required to give, but that 's minimal stress to you. the opportunity cost is the lowest. better to have the baby when you are on salary making 40,000 a year then when you are on productivity formula where you make 0 if you don't work for 3 months. also your new partners won't hate you as much. even if you are on salary your first year in practice (more common), you will still have only a few people to rearrange schedule with. most residencies have several people, so adjusting the schedule is a bit easier. having said that, i was incredibly pissed when i got screwed into extra call because someone had a baby or had to be on bedrest or whatever because at those late points there is no way to make it up. and i know the individual knew what she was doing when she got pregnant-doing what i just passed along to you. so now you get to live by your own ethics.

but don't put the cart before the horse. have the baby when you are ready to have the baby.