Pregnancy during Step 1?

[scienceispower94]

Hi everyone! I could use some advice regarding pregnancy and Step 1.

I am currently a second year MD/PhD student. I am planning on taking Step 1 between mid-June/early-July before starting graduate school in September. My husband and I want to have all of our children before I'm ~32 (I'm currently 23).

I was thinking about trying to get pregnant in the winter of this year (Dec 2017-Feb 2018), meaning I'm going to be between 4-7months pregnant when taking Step 1. I didn't want to be in early first trimester because I'm anticipating getting morning sickness. I also didn't want to be 8-9months along fearing that I may give birth pre-term.

However, I am concerned about how pregnancy will affect my memory, learning, and performance during the last few months of second year and studying for Step 1.

Have any of you been in a similar situation? For those women who already have children, do you think pregnancy would have impacted your school work or Step exam? Do any of you have suggestions regarding timing of pregnancy?

Thanks!!

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[deleted480308]

My wife had “pregnant brain”, your mileage may vary

 

[moromoke]

Hi everyone! I could use some advice regarding pregnancy and Step 1.

I am currently a second year MD/PhD student. I am planning on taking Step 1 between mid-June/early-July before starting graduate school in September. My husband and I want to have all of our children before I'm ~32 (I'm currently 23).

I was thinking about trying to get pregnant in the winter of this year (Dec 2017-Feb 2018), meaning I'm going to be between 4-7months pregnant when taking Step 1. I didn't want to be in early first trimester because I'm anticipating getting morning sickness. I also didn't want to be 8-9months along fearing that I may give birth pre-term.

However, I am concerned about how pregnancy will affect my memory, learning, and performance during the last few months of second year and studying for Step 1.

Have any of you been in a similar situation? For those women who already have children, do you think pregnancy would have impacted your school work or Step exam? Do any of you have suggestions regarding timing of pregnancy?

Thanks!!

Well, I'm 6 weeks pregnant and my step 2CK exam is in 10 days,
I just found out a week ago and the nausea is real lol.
I'm hoping I'll survive it with ondansetron.
I am determined to go ahead with the exam unless I fall terribly sick.
I'll let you know how it goes.

 

[libertyyne]

if you are currently 23, cant it wait till the phd years?

 

[Quizlet04]

However, I am concerned about how pregnancy will affect my memory, learning, and performance during the last few months of second year and studying for Step 1.

An eight hour test during which time you'll be peeing frequently and fears of "pregnancy brain" as mentioned below would keep me from being pregnant near any exam. Too much is riding on it and "BABY LOLZ" will not go over well with residencies when explaining why your Step is meh.

I agree with the other person who said why not wait 3 years until your PhD or are you that concerned about your fertility/husband's demands?

 

[libertyyne]

An eight hour test during which time you'll be peeing frequently and fears of "pregnancy brain" as mentioned below would keep me from being pregnant near any exam. Too much is riding on it and "BABY LOLZ" will not go over well with residencies when explaining why your Step is meh.

I agree with the other person who said why not wait 3 years until your PhD or are you that concerned about your fertility/husband's demands?

It makes sense that she would want to be pregnant at that time, so she can have the baby immediately after year 2 and go into PHD years. rather than get pregnant/carry the baby in phd years. However it still seems like the best option would be to get pregnant in year 3 (phd) rather than during step. You want to be in the best mental shape of your life for an exam that will potentially define what you will be doing for the rest of it.

 

[njtrimed]

Hi everyone! I could use some advice regarding pregnancy and Step 1.

I am currently a second year MD/PhD student. I am planning on taking Step 1 between mid-June/early-July before starting graduate school in September. My husband and I want to have all of our children before I'm ~32 (I'm currently 23).

I was thinking about trying to get pregnant in the winter of this year (Dec 2017-Feb 2018), meaning I'm going to be between 4-7months pregnant when taking Step 1. I didn't want to be in early first trimester because I'm anticipating getting morning sickness. I also didn't want to be 8-9months along fearing that I may give birth pre-term.

However, I am concerned about how pregnancy will affect my memory, learning, and performance during the last few months of second year and studying for Step 1.

Have any of you been in a similar situation? For those women who already have children, do you think pregnancy would have impacted your school work or Step exam? Do any of you have suggestions regarding timing of pregnancy?

Thanks!!

There’s no ideal time to start a family. In most cases, you can pretty much anticipate how you might feel during different stages of pregnancy, but you never know- even less so with your first pregnancy. Fatigue and morning sickness can be debilitating during the first trimester. For most, months 4-7 are actually fairly easy, and you may feel amazing. The third trimester tends to get tiring again, and having to run to the bathroom constantly is draining. You can’t count out the possibility of complications like hyperemesis, gestational diabetes, hypertension, preeclampsia, etc. Any of those things will be difficult when studying for or taking Step 1.

Taking all of that into consideration, you’re still likely to be in good shape if you can time it so that you're taking the test during the second trimester. I was pregnant during M1, and it was still far easier than working full-time in that I could basically sleep when I needed to, and I could get a surprising amount of studying done lying down on my couch, reviewing Anki cards. Ideal? No. But I made it work. As far as pregnancy brain is concerned, it IS a very real thing, but I don't think it impacted me academically. It made me more forgetful in terms of minor details (like losing my car keys), but anything I focused my attention on I retained (and it worked out for me with the MCAT).

Bottom line- you have to weigh the risks and benefits. As an MD/PhD wanting a family before age 32, you've started a career path that basically requires you to consider having kids before you're an attending physician, so timing is everything for every pregnancy you plan. As long as you have support and are prepared for it, I really think you can make whatever you choose to do work.

 

[deleted497653]

I am currently an attending and currently pregnant and I do not recommend being pregnant during step 1. It is definitely harder than it looks and most people will not cut you any kind of slack. It is hard to predict how your pregnancy will go and step 1 is quite important. Sometimes there is no nausea or any symptoms for some lucky people; but some pregnancies have nausea from first to third trimester and you just don't know which group you will fall under. In general, you just don't feel like your usual self. A better time is probably third or fourth year of medical school.

 

[Crayola227]

Hi everyone! I could use some advice regarding pregnancy and Step 1.

I am currently a second year MD/PhD student. I am planning on taking Step 1 between mid-June/early-July before starting graduate school in September. My husband and I want to have all of our children before I'm ~32 (I'm currently 23).

I was thinking about trying to get pregnant in the winter of this year (Dec 2017-Feb 2018), meaning I'm going to be between 4-7months pregnant when taking Step 1. I didn't want to be in early first trimester because I'm anticipating getting morning sickness. I also didn't want to be 8-9months along fearing that I may give birth pre-term.

However, I am concerned about how pregnancy will affect my memory, learning, and performance during the last few months of second year and studying for Step 1.

Have any of you been in a similar situation? For those women who already have children, do you think pregnancy would have impacted your school work or Step exam? Do any of you have suggestions regarding timing of pregnancy?

Thanks!!

ah jeez, 23 sounds a bit early to be starting not only such a loooooooooong career, but also a family at the same time? I mean, how long have you known this guy?

OTOH, yeah, there's always a good argument for seizing the eggs and sperm of the day and making the best baby you think you can today. I just had a huge convo with someone about this.

As far as how much Step 1 matters.... something has to give somewhere. I know someone who is quite a bit older than you, MD/PhD, that got a pretty craptackular Step 1, and is still at the best program in the country in their specialty. That said, they aren't starting a family yet.

Depending on what your specialty plans are and how much flexibility you have for location (I was OK with FM in Alaska), you might not *need* more than just average.

What will haunt you more? Waiting and being barren? Doing it sooner and "settling" in some way regarding residency? Knowing you did one for career, the other for family?

All of this matters for how much you should worry about the very real sx of parasites pregnancy.

As for needing to piss every 5 minutes? Do what I do, and just wear an incontinence pad during these sorts of tests and worry no more.

 

[eteshoe]

I'm not a female but I am a MD/PhD student. Wait until your PhD years - it will be soooooo much easier to raise a family at that point.