Reposting this from the Allopathic forum... Hi, I'm going to be entering medical school at Baylor next year (deferred this year). At that point, I'll have two little boys who will be 3.5 years old and 10 months old. I guess I'm looking for advice/reassurance that I will actually be able to do this without totally neglecting my family. I have an extremely strong desire/need to be a doctor, but it is scary to think that my kids will be 11 and 9 before I am done (if I'm lucky). How do you handle it? About how much time do you get to spend with your kids during: pre-clinical? clinical? residency? Thanks, Pam P.S. My husband is very supportive and an excellent dad (he already does more childcare & housework than I do). He won't be home full time, but I have family nearby too. He is behind my going to med school, but I know he is scared too.
I was the kid part of that equation. I was somewhat older than your kids when my mom started medical school, but I think the same thing applies for the most part. My dad raised us for the most part, and my mom did the best she could. Maybe because my brothers and I were older we could understand the situation better, but it was still hard. With my mom in school full time, my dad had to work. He "commuted" for a month at a time to Alaska to work, and my grandma came in to take care of us. I do remember that my mom missed some important events when I was growing up, but it was ok. We were always close and remain that way, especially now that I'm applying to medical school myself.
I only saw my parents on the weekends (came home when I was asleep and left before I came back from school). It wasn't so bad because we had quality time together. It's not the amount of time but the quality. Just make that a priority and you won't be neglecting your kids. Good Luck!!!
