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I'll let you know my thoughts come April.
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vet school with a family?
Started by cozycleo
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I'll let you know my thoughts come April.
Gee. I hope you thought about it ahead of time. 🙄
Yeah I've never actually read this thread but I am doing it now. I'm on page 2. Just to let everyone know, I fully plan on working full time when I graduate. My mom managed 4 kids while in law school and worked full time after and I feel like I turned out ok.
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stole my line. 🙁
Ahhh!! Well, to be honest, I'd like to hear some more recent opinions. 😀
Here's my scenario: I'll be 39 when I get out of vet school (providing I get in this round). Ovaries are already screaming, but they'll have to at least wait a year or two.
Maybe some current students want to discuss the merits of having kids while IN vet school?
Maybe some current students want to discuss the merits of having kids while IN vet school?
I would, but my SO will be in med school and far away. It would almost be impossible. 🙁 I wonder if it's any more challenging to have a child during residency than while in vet school..?
Depends what type of residency, probably...
Maybe some current students want to discuss the merits of having kids while IN vet school?
I think it's a great move. You can sell them to help offset tuition.
First, I'm guessing congrats to lissa!
Second, vet school and kids really boils down to personality.
My little guy will be three months on Monday. I had a great pregnancy, and so far, a great baby. My grades are a bit lower, and I had to adjust my study habits to account for having less time, but oh noes, I'm getting B's now instead of A's. mostly, I'm making it work because it never occurred to me that it wouldn't.... (God bless the genetics of pigheadedness).
If you feel like vet school has been manageable so far, go for it. If you panic before every exam because you're on the verge of failing, I wouldn't suggest it.
Oh, and breast feeding is totally possible while in school. And the dairy jokes make life fun! 😛
The only other thing I suggest considering first, would you be ok taking a year off if something goes wrong? To me,it was worth the risk, but others might not be so willing to delay a year if needed.
If you want more details than that, feel free to PM me.
Second, vet school and kids really boils down to personality.
My little guy will be three months on Monday. I had a great pregnancy, and so far, a great baby. My grades are a bit lower, and I had to adjust my study habits to account for having less time, but oh noes, I'm getting B's now instead of A's. mostly, I'm making it work because it never occurred to me that it wouldn't.... (God bless the genetics of pigheadedness).
If you feel like vet school has been manageable so far, go for it. If you panic before every exam because you're on the verge of failing, I wouldn't suggest it.
Oh, and breast feeding is totally possible while in school. And the dairy jokes make life fun! 😛
The only other thing I suggest considering first, would you be ok taking a year off if something goes wrong? To me,it was worth the risk, but others might not be so willing to delay a year if needed.
If you want more details than that, feel free to PM me.
Oh yeah, and be prepared to be very flexible. I was not prepared at all for a child who absolutely refuses to be put down ever and must sleep in physical contact with someone. Baby carriers are now my friend, and I go to bed much earlier than I used to, but it definitely shattered my delusions of being able to study while baby happily slept in a swing or after he goes to bed. Very rarely does my day go according to plan anymore either.
The key for me in all of this has been going to bed happy with what I did manage to accomplish (even if it wasn't anything more than getting a shower and getting everything packed for the next day), and being determined to do it all over again the next day.
The key for me in all of this has been going to bed happy with what I did manage to accomplish (even if it wasn't anything more than getting a shower and getting everything packed for the next day), and being determined to do it all over again the next day.
My mom said she would hold me in her lap and rock me with a book propped open on the table in front of her. It was her routine study procedure.
My suspicion (having had three kids, though obviously I'm the dad and not the mom) is that you're going to find in retrospect that it's much easier with the baby than with the 1+ year old. When kids are newborn and non-mobile, they do require constant attention/care, but it's relatively straightforward stuff. If they're fed, warm, and dry ... you've done your job. Once they get moving and start interacting with their environment .... it gets complicated and harder to accomplish the tasks you need to get done. At least, until they hit about 5 and you can trust them to play by themselves and not get themselves killed.
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I've mostly been lurking .....
I plan to apply next summer/cycle. We have a young-ish family, two children. I have no doubt I can do the work in school, but I do have doubts about juggling vet school and being a parent. I wish I could just KNOW how it will work out for us, but we will just have to find out as we go. I would not have been able to handle school when my kids were babies. They didn't sleep, could not be put down. My three year old still doesn't reliably sleep through the night 🙄. If all goes as planned, both my kids will be in school by the time I start. They do tend to need *more* from me as they get older, however, not less.
Fwiw, I did apply 12 years ago to only one school (stupid in retrospect) and was at the top of the wait list. They didn't take anyone from the list that year. 🙁 We decided to start a family rather than having me immediately re-apply. I have no regrets. I had infertility issues despite being under 30. While I would love to get into vet school, I would not trade my kids for any experience. I just hope that I'll be able to have my cake and eat it too 🙂
I plan to apply next summer/cycle. We have a young-ish family, two children. I have no doubt I can do the work in school, but I do have doubts about juggling vet school and being a parent. I wish I could just KNOW how it will work out for us, but we will just have to find out as we go. I would not have been able to handle school when my kids were babies. They didn't sleep, could not be put down. My three year old still doesn't reliably sleep through the night 🙄. If all goes as planned, both my kids will be in school by the time I start. They do tend to need *more* from me as they get older, however, not less.
Fwiw, I did apply 12 years ago to only one school (stupid in retrospect) and was at the top of the wait list. They didn't take anyone from the list that year. 🙁 We decided to start a family rather than having me immediately re-apply. I have no regrets. I had infertility issues despite being under 30. While I would love to get into vet school, I would not trade my kids for any experience. I just hope that I'll be able to have my cake and eat it too 🙂
You can, it just takes a little extra work is all. And being very very intentional about doing things (school and kid related). I really have to have a game plan for the day, or I don't get anything done. And having supportive family helps too. If nothing else hubby takes care of me so I can take care of the little one.
Nobody ever gets to know ahead of time. But you can prepare yourself by staying flexible (someone earlier talked about not worrying so much about grades ... that sort of flexibility).
But just because you don't know ahead of time doesn't mean you can't be confident you'll make it work. I think you will. We have plenty of students with kids in my class (including me). We make it work. For the most part, it just means you stare wistfully at Facebook when you read about all the awesome fun things your classmates are doing. 🙂
Lol. This is basically what I do. I've also learned to nurse with him in a carrier so I don't have to stop studying when he eats.
So congrats are on the way?
p.s. I always see your avatar and thing "wow... Lissa is SOOOOOO pretty"
Congrats Lissa!!
I personally don't think I could do it, for the sheer fact that hubby is 3,000 miles away. But I completely respect all of those who are making it work. My hat goes off to you. FWIW, I only know of one student in the whole school that has kids over here...I guess it's because the majority are much younger?
I personally don't think I could do it, for the sheer fact that hubby is 3,000 miles away. But I completely respect all of those who are making it work. My hat goes off to you. FWIW, I only know of one student in the whole school that has kids over here...I guess it's because the majority are much younger?
If only I looked like Anne Hathaway...and thanks!
One thing that I think will really help my kid situation when it is born is that my husband is a firefighter. He works one 24 hour shift every 3 days. When he works overtime, he has the option to be paid time and a half or to get "comp time" which is paid time off. He has been saving up comp time like crazy so he can take off work when we need it and still get paid.
Thanks Packen. I know a guy at Edinburgh (sp?) and his wife just recently had a baby. He said that quite a few people there have chosen to have children while over there because of the free healthcare system. Something I never would have thought of lol.
Don't know what you are talking about there, but I don't find that much awesome fun stuff I am missing. Sure one or two people occasionally look like they are having fun, but on a % basis it is pretty small.
A group is going camping this weekend, but that is just because they don't have exams next week like I do.
What a good hubby!
I'm still super young, but I'm already somewhat baby crazy. SO would tell you I'm super baby crazy. Logically I know I don't want one now (and there's that whole find mr. right thing...), but I think before my 7-8 year commitment at State is up I'm gonna want to have a baby (again assuming there is a mister right)
This is very bad to read when my plan is to wait until after school to have children. But I just got married and I just feel like once things get settled down (which I feel like is happening now) the next step is to have kids. I know it's not time for me yet, but the idea is really nice. (Also I'm straight into school after undergrad so it's not like my biological clock is ticking too quickly yet).
