What is the best time to have a baby if I want to become a surgeon?

[kazzie]

I am 20 and a sophomore in college/pre-med. Soon I'll be getting married to my fiancé who is applying to medical school next year. We both want to become surgeons. I have read many articles and threads on having babies while pursuing a career in medicine. They all say that it's going to be stressful regardless of when you have the baby. Many people say that the 4th year of med-school and before starting med-school are good times to conceive. I have a good support system and I am a hard worker. So, what is the best time to have a baby? As I mentioned before, I want to become a surgeon. I understand that it is very time consuming and requires a tremendous amount of work. So, is it better to have a baby before med-school? I'll be 22 when I finish college. I don't want to take time off from school and fall behind. So what's your take on this? I always plan things ahead of time. I don't want to be 35 and wish I had a kid earlier, so what is the best time?

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[pattr]

I am 20 and a sophomore in college/pre-med. Soon I'll be getting married to my fiancé who is applying to medical school next year. We both want to become surgeons. I have read many articles and threads on having babies while pursuing a career in medicine. They all say that it's going to be stressful regardless of when you have the baby. Many people say that the 4th year of med-school and before starting med-school are good times to conceive. I have a good support system and I am a hard worker. So, what is the best time to have a baby? As I mentioned before, I want to become a surgeon. I understand that it is very te consuming and requires a tremendous amount of work. So, is it better to have a baby before med-school? I'll be 22 when I finish med-school. I don't want to take time off from school and fall behind. So what's your take on this? I always plan things ahead of time. I don't want to be 35 and wish I had a kid earlier, so what is the best time?

So you'll be 22 when you finish college right? Because you're a sophomore now. If your goal is to become a surgeon, I would highly advise you not to have a baby during residency. I know people who have done it but it is not fun and you will almost never see your kid.

I think it's possible to do it during or before medical school as long as you have a good support system (as in friends or relatives who will literally care for your baby when you can't) though it will be difficult especially if both of you are medical students. My friends/classmates who have kids usually have a spouse who takes care of the kids, works from home, or has a job with a lighter schedule. I know women who have been pregnant during school too... Being a medical student is like having a full time job that follows you home every day so the time for child care and such is limited.

Also consider that if you are serious about surgery, that means you must get really good grades and board scores so study time is precious, and obviously having a baby can be stressful.

But what do I know? I'm a male and don't have any kids so probably not the best source