School/life balance

[Birdy]

Those of you in med school who have children, how do you balance their needs with the necessities of your schooling?

 

My kids will be at least 9 and 5 when I start med school, depending how many times I have to apply, so still quite young. As my husband works out of the province and isn't home the vast majority of the time, I think it is likely we'll need a nanny or au pair of some sort as we will not be living near family who could help.

 

How did you manage things like child care, helping with homework, and attending school events? My biggest worry is when the kids are sick. What kinds of plans do you have for such things?

 

When it comes to the travel involved for placements, what do you do with your kids?

 

There's so many logistics involved, I'm just trying to get a rough idea ahead of time.

[Kasiunut]

I can't answer your question but I'm in a similar boat. My son is currently 4 and if I get in for the 2013 cycle he will be almost 6.

 

A great resource to check out however is the Mothers in Medicine blog (google the URL), which has MD moms in all stages of their careers (from premed to 20+ years as attendings). You can also send them an email that they will post for other members and blog readers to respond to.

 

Incidentally I've been following your posts and as a fellow older med school hopeful who is married and has a child, I just wanted to commend you for your braveness and wanted to wish you good luck with the process!

[Birdy]

Thank you! It is rather nice to know that I am neither alone nor completely insane to be planning this. I wish you the absolute best of luck in your pursuits as well. This obviously won't be the easiest journey, but I think perhaps it will do my kids a service to experience it with me.

 

Thank you very much for the blog recommendation. I've been sucked in already. Really enjoying the material there, and I think that is just what I needed to begin piecing together the realities of my career goal.

[astrogirl]

I don't have kids, but I just wanted to say that there are quite a few parents in our class. Mostly fathers, but a couple of mothers too. I'm sure it's not easy, but a lot of people do manage to make it work.

[kpm]

Woah you girls are awesome.

[Birdy]

I don't have kids, but I just wanted to say that there are quite a few parents in our class. Mostly fathers, but a couple of mothers too. I'm sure it's not easy, but a lot of people do manage to make it work.

 

That is comforting to hear. A friend of my family completed med school as a single mum in her 40s. I am in awe of her, absolutely in awe. It's obviously possible, but I'm sure has its finicky bits to deal with.

 

Woah you girls are awesome.

 

That was lovely of you to say. Thank you.

[taiga gal]

i hope more parents chime in here...i say go for it!

 

i too am a single parent in my 40's, and will find out in a few weeks my fate re med school. i am living in toddler world and often wonder if i am crazy to persue this. but i don't want to have any regrets and so here i go! i have managed to find childcare to cover shift work and am going to trust i can find it again wherever i go. i do not have family members who can help me, but you know what they say, it takes a village to raise a child.....

 

just do it!

[future_doc]

Excellent advice gal!

 

Fingers crossed for you!

[Birdy]

i hope more parents chime in here...i say go for it!

 

i too am a single parent in my 40's, and will find out in a few weeks my fate re med school. i am living in toddler world and often wonder if i am crazy to persue this. but i don't want to have any regrets and so here i go! i have managed to find childcare to cover shift work and am going to trust i can find it again wherever i go. i do not have family members who can help me, but you know what they say, it takes a village to raise a child.....

 

just do it!

 

We tried for years to find shift work child care and never did. Could just be where we are (PEI, small population = reduced demand.) It's why my husband left for work. We couldn't survive on a single PEI income, but couldn't both manage to work the irregular hours demanded by so many employers.

 

I'm considerably younger, being 25 (I had my first at 19, second at 23) and that works both for and against me, I think. I've had considerably less time in the working world to build a career, so I still have to depend heavily on my UG to get me in.

[future_doc]

At age 25, you are a mere baby!

[Birdy]

At age 25, you are a mere baby!

 

I know, haha. My husband is 31 and many of my friends are in their thirties, so people tend to forget I'm this young. My birthday was just over a month ago, at that.

 

Still, I managed to pack a lot into the last twenty-five years since I skipped that partying and relationship drama period many people my age go through, which allowed me to focus on other things.

[future_doc]

All good!

 

I, too, am a baby in med school although some of my classmates, amazingly smart, are teenagers.

[jerkstore]

Boy this chuanbei guy is very appreciative.

[AnnyBear]

Wow, has there not been a premed mom since 2012?  I'm applying to McMaster, UofT, and Queen's for the first time in the 2021/2022 cycle, and I wonder if there is anyone else in the same boat. 

[Lilirose]

1 hour ago, AnnyBear said:

Wow, has there not been a premed mom since 2012?  I'm applying to McMaster, UofT, and Queen's for the first time in the 2021/2022 cycle, and I wonder if there is anyone else in the same boat. 

Mama here, you can pm me to chat if you want!