Q11: Family Planning and Professional Schools (an important nontrad concern)

[nontrad314]

Hi

This is an important concern from some of the 25+ crowd.

What are some resources for learning more about the options?

What are some options?

Here are two answers:

exlawgrrl:

q. i'm non-trad and interested in having children. what are my options for having children during medical school or residencies?

a. some schools allow you to take five years to graduate, giving you time to have a child. many students seem to opt to have children between the second and third year. also, some residency programs are flexible regarding this. anyone want to add to this answer before the faq becomes official? my answer is not the most informative.

mamadoc:

People have figured out lots of ways to have babies while in med school and / or residency. Popular times in med school include between first and second year (when you often have a summer break), and during fourth year when you usually have more discretionary time. Residency programs have systems in place to deal with maternity leave and so pretty much every imaginable work arrangement has been done during residency. There's no one right way to do it.

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[blee]

I don't believe that this question is appropriate for a FAQ document. FAQs typically have straightforward answers to relatively uncomplicated questions, and this is anything but. About the most I'd feel comfortable saying is that "it depends." Too many variables -- the student, the spouse/SO/lack thereof, the school, the desired future career, etc. -- can all lead to wildly different "correct" answers.

 

[nontrad314]

I concur. It's a big question.

Is it possible to include the question in a way that it is not so big.

For example, can we turn it into the following question:


Q. I'm a nontrad who is concerned about family planning and professional school, where can I learn more about some of the options?

A. Talk to medical students.

or something like that.

Incidently, I actually *am* a nontrad who *is* concerned about family planning and I would like to know what sorts of resources are available to me; e.g., where can I find out more?

I mostly only talked to med students about it. Is there somewhere else I can go / look etc?

Thanks

 

[Doctor Bagel]

I concur. It's a big question.

Is it possible to include the question in a way that it is not so big.

For example, can we turn it into the following question:


Q. I'm a nontrad who is concerned about family planning and professional school, where can I learn more about some of the options?

A. Talk to medical students.

or something like that.

Incidently, I actually *am* a nontrad who *is* concerned about family planning and I would like to know what sorts of resources are available to me; e.g., where can I find out more?

I mostly only talked to med students about it. Is there somewhere else I can go / look etc?

Thanks

i like that phrasing better, too. i'd be willing to research sources for that information. it's true that there's no right answer to that question, but i'm sure there are books, other websites, and even threads on this board that deal with it extensively.

i'll follow the consensus on this thread and see where we wind up.

 

[Beau Geste]

I don't believe that this question is appropriate for a FAQ document. FAQs typically have straightforward answers to relatively uncomplicated questions, and this is anything but. About the most I'd feel comfortable saying is that "it depends." Too many variables -- the student, the spouse/SO/lack thereof, the school, the desired future career, etc. -- can all lead to wildly different "correct" answers.

Yeah, everyone's situation is different. Some are away from their spouses in another city while in med school, some have finances to think about.... it might be a frequently asked question, but there's no standard answer. And if you look at earlier threads, many are divided on the subject and have their own opinions.

 

[nontrad314]

Hi Exlawgrrl,

I do know that several schools offer a 'Family Planning' seminar on interview day. I almost went to one, but ended up touring a lab instead.

 

[Surgess]

Hi Exlawgrrl,

I do know that several schools offer a 'Family Planning' seminar on interview day. I almost went to one, but ended up touring a lab instead.

I typically stay out of these type discussions, but after reading I think I'll answer. I would say that I was a non-trad matriculate into medschool back in '99. I already had a four year old son, wouldn't you know it.. I got pregnant one month after starting medschool. Sort of planned, sort of not . Anyway, it turned out to be perfect timing because I ended up having my second son two weeks after final exams. What worked for me was making my own schedule and skipping out on a lot of lectures. I had already been a teacher and an academic researcher before I started medical school at 24 years old. I figured I was self-motivated and already had a firm grasp on my learning style. My point is in my opinion, there is no perfect time to have a baby. You just have to adjust and make the most of the situation. What I will say is that your life is so much more full afterwards though. I can't really remember what it was like before my kids. They are wonderful. I don't think motherhood and medicine are mutually exclusive. You can still be top of your class and superstar mom at home. It just takes some creativity and a firm resolve to ignore your critics. ( A strong support system and belief in God also helps tremendously ).

 

[thirdunity]

This is a huge concern for me. I will be 35 by the time I make it to med school. I am unmarried and female. I'm worried about where to fit in kids. Where to fit in dating. Et cetera. Plus, the women in my mom's side of the family all seem to start physically slowing down around 40... being tired all the time, having lots of vague physical complaints, the memory starts going, and being unable generally to do the usual pace. My mom can't even do a 40 hour shift because of all the naps and stuff she needs. She has had trouble in school because her memory just isn't what it used to be. I'm worried this will happen to me.