Non-Trads with children...

[VackAttack]

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I looked around and the only other thread I saw on children was dated in 2007 so I decided to start a new one...

I'm finishing up my undergrad in May (will be 23 years old) and I've got two children, a 2 and a half year old and a 6 month old. My mom is close by but can't physically take care of the children, and my wife's parents aren't close enough to help out. So my schedule is drop kids off at day care on the way to school, pick them up on the way home.

I was wondering if any other parents had any advice for preparing for the MCAT and finishing up undergrad. I know my kids aren't something like 5 and 8, an age where they can be independent and take care of themselves in the sense that they can do pretty much everything they need to survive on their own in a house. I feel that having little ones, who are both in diapers, is more difficult than having two kids who are older. But I may be completely wrong because I obviously haven't experienced that yet... So anyone who has younger children, and anyone who has older children (but still young) please share some advice!

I greatly appreciate it and I tip my hat to all the parents who are gunning for med school. 👍

 

[GenusTide]

I looked around and the only other thread I saw on children was dated in 2007 so I decided to start a new one...

I'm finishing up my undergrad in May (will be 23 years old) and I've got two children, a 2 and a half year old and a 6 month old. My mom is close by but can't physically take care of the children, and my wife's parents aren't close enough to help out. So my schedule is drop kids off at day care on the way to school, pick them up on the way home.

I was wondering if any other parents had any advice for preparing for the MCAT and finishing up undergrad. I know my kids aren't something like 5 and 8, an age where they can be independent and take care of themselves in the sense that they can do pretty much everything they need to survive on their own in a house. I feel that having little ones, who are both in diapers, is more difficult than having two kids who are older. But I may be completely wrong because I obviously haven't experienced that yet... So anyone who has younger children, and anyone who has older children (but still young) please share some advice!

I greatly appreciate it and I tip my hat to all the parents who are gunning for med school. 👍

Having younger kids is easier and harder in the sense they require you to basically do everything for them but on the same token they can be easily entertained. My wife had our kids while she was in college and when she finished I started, at this time they were 1&3. I know how tough it can get. I remember my wife complaining because she had to sit in the bathroom at school and use a breast pump so she could continue to breast feed.now that they are a little older, they have become more self sufficient but their needs have only changed. Instead of it being diapers, feeding and cute play, its sports, getting ready for school, doing homework when they get home, not understanding why you have to study all the time, birthday parties and the list goes on...... Trust me when I tell you it is easier where your kids are now! I am sure I don't have to tell you the difficulties of having children while pursuing this field but just keep reminding yourself that it will be worth the hardships in the end. My advice is do the best job you can planning ahead. Make sure to take the time to spend with your children as they get older and take the time to find a good babysitter to have some alone time with your wife. It is tough but it can be accomplished. The best time I have found to study is after they go to bed until about 1 or so in the morning. You can function on about five hours of sleep with out over doing yourself. Just find a schedule that works for you and try to stick with it. We do have her parents here locally but there is no way that I would trust them alone with my kids so I know how you feel not having much help in the babysitting department. I wish you guys the best!

 

[blife]

I'm applying this cycle, and have a 1.5 year old. I only took a couple post-bac classes, but I did study for the MCAT while working 50-60hrs/week and playing single parent for 5 months. Here's somet things that helped me:

- Food - take a couple hours on the weekend to meal plan and cook food in batches. Not having to worry about what to make for dinner during the week was key to eating dinner early, getting the kid to bed on time and taking care of household chores in time to have a couple hours to study.
- Flashcards- I downloaded Kaplan flashcards onto my phone, I forget how much they cost, and studied those anytime I had an extra moment. For post-bac classes, I used gflash pro, which lets you create flashcards on a google or excel spreadsheet and upload to your phone. Again, I used them any time I had a minute or two to kill
- Get up before the kids and study. Even if its just doing verbal passages instead of hardcore study.
- Identify the easy points of the test and know these items cold. Get the most bang for your study time.
- If possible, go to the library after class and review your notes/upcoming material.

In all, I found that advanced planning and organization can squeeze a few more hours of studying in per week. Good luck! Your dedication is impressive!

 

[GenusTide]

I'm applying this cycle, and have a 1.5 year old. I only took a couple post-bac classes, but I did study for the MCAT while working 50-60hrs/week and playing single parent for 5 months. Here's somet things that helped me:

- Food - take a couple hours on the weekend to meal plan and cook food in batches. Not having to worry about what to make for dinner during the week was key to eating dinner early, getting the kid to bed on time and taking care of household chores in time to have a couple hours to study.
- Flashcards- I downloaded Kaplan flashcards onto my phone, I forget how much they cost, and studied those anytime I had an extra moment. For post-bac classes, I used gflash pro, which lets you create flashcards on a google or excel spreadsheet and upload to your phone. Again, I used them any time I had a minute or two to kill
- Get up before the kids and study. Even if its just doing verbal passages instead of hardcore study.
- Identify the easy points of the test and know these items cold. Get the most bang for your study time.
- If possible, go to the library after class and review your notes/upcoming material.

In all, I found that advanced planning and organization can squeeze a few more hours of studying in per week. Good luck! Your dedication is impressive!

I noticed earlier you received and interview invite to Harvard. Congrats👍

 

[VackAttack]

Instead of quoting both of you, just wanted to say thanks to yall... I'll definitely take that information and put it to good use!

Good luck with your studies... and congrats on Harvard! 🙂

 

[blife]

I noticed earlier you received and interview invite to Harvard. Congrats👍

Thanks, having zero expectations of being accepted relieves some of the pressure of the interview😉

 

[montessori2md]

I'm a fourth year medical student, my son is now 8, he was 2 when I started taking the pre-reqs. For MCAT, I would do short-bursts of study (45 min on, 20 min off). Use your breaks to fold laundry, make lunch, pick up the kids, etc.

If you have a Harvard invite, I'm guessing your gpa doesn't suck. If that's true, then your MCAT should be fine, and you shouldn't stress too much about it unless you have a very specific list of schools. If you are a more typical non-trad with a mediocre gpa and a rough learning curve, you just need to find the MCAT study method that works for you, and I can't tell you what that is. It's something that will help you sit on your butt and cram in lots of information in a short amount of time. Because that's what the first 2 years of medical school are all about.

Seek out schools who don't have mandatory lecture attendance daily. It will save your butt on the days the kids have a snow day/sick day/teacher work day.

Among my parenting classmates, some of us studied at home, some had a set "work schedule" where they stayed on campus and didn't go home until they were ready to play. All of us had supportive families and plenty of help. If you don't have at least 4 options for child care (in your cell and ready to call when needed), you aren't ready.

I think being a mom made me a better, more focused, more organized, more appreciative student. A lot of my classmates are envious, because they worry about when to start their families.

 

[NontradICUdoc]

make a schedule and stick to it. When I was studying for the MCAT, I had 2 girls at the time and they were both <5 years old. But I set up a schedule where I would study in the night and then Saturday evenings I would go to Panera Bread (free WifI at the time) and study until they closed. I would then go to the same store when it first opened on Sunday morning and be there for about 5 hours. The rest of the day was family time.

But you need to be anal about your schedule.

 

[camshark]

Wow you sound a lot like me. Im finishing UG in May and studying for the MCAT now. Im doing the Kaplan course. I have a 1.5yr old and a 2 month old. The doctor Ive been shadowing also went to medical school with a wife and 2 kids and he said unless your wife has a great job (pays for daycarae and bills) then its more worth it for her to stay at home with the kids. We have decided during medical school my wife will stay home. We most likely will not have family near us and my wife probably wont make enough to make daycare worth it (think $3/hr after daycare costs). But good luck to all of us with kids!

 

[stolen_biscuit]

Wow you sound a lot like me. Im finishing UG in May and studying for the MCAT now. Im doing the Kaplan course. I have a 1.5yr old and a 2 month old. The doctor Ive been shadowing also went to medical school with a wife and 2 kids and he said unless your wife has a great job (pays for daycarae and bills) then its more worth it for her to stay at home with the kids. We have decided during medical school my wife will stay home. We most likely will not have family near us and my wife probably wont make enough to make daycare worth it (think $3/hr after daycare costs). But good luck to all of us with kids!

I have a friend that did that; it worked out well for them. They used student loans to pay living expenses and used Medicaid for insurance during that time.

I was hoping my husband would stay home. My kids will be 5, 9, and 10 when I matriculate, so we won't need daycare. We will, however, have to do before/after-school care and find some type of childcare on their school holidays. Plus, it would be nice if someone was available to go up to school occasionally and take them to activities. For us, though, it would not be financially responsible as my husband is the main source of our income now.

As for the MCAT, I was not in school when I studied for it, but I was staying home full-time with my kids (normally just the little one, but it was summer, so everyone was home), working part-time, taking a Kaplan class, and keeping up with volunteer responsibilities. Free time was hard to come by, so I did what I could over the summer and spent the last 3-ish weeks spending 2-4 hrs a night at the library and most of Saturday and Sunday there. I'm sure I could have done more with more time, but as a non-trad, you've got to pick and choose what's at the forefront. I am satisfied with what I was able to do.

Good luck to you all!

 

[montessori2md]

Your spouse doesn't need to be 100% at home unless your children are infants or you intend to be a 16 hour a day student, which I don't recommend.

Your spouse can easily work part time, if not full time, while you are in school. The ideal schedule is waiting tables, bartending, or nursing, because you (the student) can be home in the evenings and on weekends for the first 2 years. Ideally it would be a job with health benefits, even if the pay isn't great, it's worth it to have real insurance.

Those of you non-trads who are juggling work and school and logging 80 hours a week -med school with no job will seem EASIER than your current life unless you are ADHD or need to be in the top 25% of your class. Chill a little on worrying over schedules until you've been in for a few months. Lower debt = better marriage. Worry about childcare 3rd year. Because your job is to learn, if you can focus and learn what you need to know efficiently, you'll have plenty of spare time to help parent and run your household. Laundry, bedtime stories, throwing together dinner all make great study breaks.

 

[Belle Melodie]

I'm applying this cycle, and have a 1.5 year old. I only took a couple post-bac classes, but I did study for the MCAT while working 50-60hrs/week and playing single parent for 5 months. Here's somet things that helped me:

- Food - take a couple hours on the weekend to meal plan and cook food in batches. Not having to worry about what to make for dinner during the week was key to eating dinner early, getting the kid to bed on time and taking care of household chores in time to have a couple hours to study.
- Flashcards- I downloaded Kaplan flashcards onto my phone, I forget how much they cost, and studied those anytime I had an extra moment. For post-bac classes, I used gflash pro, which lets you create flashcards on a google or excel spreadsheet and upload to your phone. Again, I used them any time I had a minute or two to kill
- Get up before the kids and study. Even if its just doing verbal passages instead of hardcore study.
- Identify the easy points of the test and know these items cold. Get the most bang for your study time.
- If possible, go to the library after class and review your notes/upcoming material.

In all, I found that advanced planning and organization can squeeze a few more hours of studying in per week. Good luck! Your dedication is impressive!

I commend you to the fullest for doing this on your own and working so many hours and studying for the MCAT. I have a 17 month old, working 40 hours, and taking evening classes and planning to leave my job so that i can take at least 15 credits and study for MCAT. I feel like a punk now compared to you. LOL. Good job!

 

[blife]

I commend you to the fullest for doing this on your own and working so many hours and studying for the MCAT. I have a 17 month old, working 40 hours, and taking evening classes and planning to leave my job so that i can take at least 15 credits and study for MCAT. I feel like a punk now compared to you. LOL. Good job!

Thanks! My husband was across the country for his job during this time. Once he got back, it was much easier to study on the weekends because he was around to help. I'd get up early and go to a coffee shop that opens at 6am, study until the library opened at 9am, then my husband and son would meet me for lunch and park time, then back to studying at the library until 4 or 5 (but then I was done for the day). On Sundays I got up early and studied at home, then in the evening after my son's bedtime. The rest of the day was family day.

Good luck to you! I highly recommend figuring out a system to streamline food prep, as that seemed to save the most time and stress. Oh, and accepting the fact that I was rarely going to have large chunks of time to study😀