Time to spend with family during med school?

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capone2975

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Curious to see how much time people actually get to spend with their families during med school. Family is important to me as is following my dreams and doing what I want to do.

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capone2975 said:
Curious to see how much time people actually get to spend with their families during med school. Family is important to me as is following my dreams and doing what I want to do.
It will vary, but it will definitely be limited. During your first 2 years, there will be a lot of studying, but you'll have some control over your schedule. So if you're creative, and stay on top of your studying, you should be able to set aside some time each week.

During your last 2 years, you'll have less control over your schedule, and will be be working between 40 and 100 hours a week. So a lot will depend a lot on what rotation you're on.
 
A huge factor in the time you can spend away from schoolwork is the school you attend. Some schools are more family friendly than others - and I think it is hard to understnd the huge difference something like that can make until you see it first hand. It extends into the 3rd and 4th year too. You can pm me if you want more details on what I am talking about - but it is a great question to ask the students at whatever medical school you interview at.
 
capone2975 said:
Curious to see how much time people actually get to spend with their families during med school. Family is important to me as is following my dreams and doing what I want to do.

Hi there,
You can do most of your studying at home during your first and second years so you can actually be home. You just won't be interacting with your family every second of the day. I usually reserved Saturday or Sunday to do something totally family related and studied very little on those days.

I would go to bed around 7pm and wake up at midnight to study until 5am. The time between about 4pm and 7pm was generally used for family interaction and so forth. I just did not spend hours at school except for the semester that I was doing gross anatomy. I would often be in the anatomy lab at 1am reviewing structures. I made it a point to maximize my time when the family was home and awake.

Now during residency, I leave the house at 5am and get home around 7pm. I make phone calls during the day. I have found that it isn't the quantity of time but the quality of time that we spend together. We generally have evening meal together and I go to bed later these days. Ovenight call is once every two weeks or so (we have a night float system). When I am on straight night call, seeing everyone is a bit more difficult.

njbmd :)
 
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