Guest willsanna Posted April 10, 2004 Report Share Posted April 10, 2004 Is it actually possible to have children and still continue medical school ? Is it very likely someone could be able to succeed medical school if they start a family during medical school years? Thanks, Willsanna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest moo Posted April 10, 2004 Report Share Posted April 10, 2004 Personally I wouldn't want to start a family but there are several people in my class who have kids and who have survived so far... so it's doable, but that's something I would put off until at least after residency. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest marbledust Posted April 10, 2004 Report Share Posted April 10, 2004 I think it's like anything else, if you are willing to work at it then a family is possible during med school and residency. I know several people who started familes either during med school or residency, mostly male but a few females. I once met a male general surgeryl resident with 3 small kids and asked him how on earth he managed. He told me he not only found time for his wife and kids, but also made time for other interests outside of medicine. Medicine isn't his life, it's just one part of it and he has learned to balance. That's the key to medical training - balance. I would consider starting a family during med school or residency - if only I felt "grown up" enough to actually raise kids right now :lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest willsanna Posted April 10, 2004 Report Share Posted April 10, 2004 I appreciate your response. This is one of the friendliest and helpful forums I have been to. I believe it is accurate to say that everybody contributes to answer many questions in this forum also contribute to creating doctors for Canada. Thanks, Willsanna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sn0w0wl Posted April 10, 2004 Report Share Posted April 10, 2004 Willsanna, I've been thinking about this topic a lot, and you can find some old threads on the forum if you use the Search feature. Though it would be nice to be able to put things off until after residency, that isn't an option for me as I want to have my kids before I'm 35 (I'm starting to hear my biological clock ticking). I think the timing you choose depends a lot on the support your partner, family, and friends can give you (eg. how many willing babysitters you have), and also what your income situation is. I would also consider whether you are anticipating any medical problems during pregnancy, etc., (eg. is morning sickness common in your family)--you may be fine studying and working until the very end, but what is your backup plan? There is no ideal time to have a family, you just make the time--you decide your priorities. Yes, it is certainly possible, and you may just have to get used to not participating in all of the social events and having less time to study for exams--I've heard the phrase "excellent time-management skills" come up a lot with regard to this topic. Personally, I'm probably going to wait until my residency years until we start a family. I don't want to jeopardize my chances of getting into the program I want, and depending on what province you're in, you can get maternity leave (I think it's about 4 months in BC), and some of it can be paid. But, for your undergrad, I have heard of schools that are very supportive of students with kids or that are pregnant, in terms of special arrangements for exams, opportunities to take part of a year off, etc. There are natural breaks in the program you can take advantage of to have a child--from what I've heard, just try to avoid the middle of your clerkship (3rd) year. Whatever I end up doing, my work won't be my whole life--I'd like time for family and other interests, and I'll just find a way to put it together. Hopefully, things will get easier, as more and more doctors are trying to get that balance in their life. The rules will have to adapt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest summervirus Posted April 10, 2004 Report Share Posted April 10, 2004 Many of my classmates have wives/husbands and children. Several have had kids during med school. In fact, the faculty here has a publication called Iatros that's featuring a few of my classmates this month. One of them is a mother of five! (Wow)! So, it's definitely possible to have children in med school. If you're interested, you can read more about it here: Iatros, Volume 18 (1). It starts on page 12 of the document. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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