Pregnancy and deferrals

[Guest bj]

Just a question out to anyone who is interested or has thought about this scenario:

 

Do any schools allow you to defer acceptance due to pregnancy or childbirth? What about once you are in school, do they let you take time off to have a child? Has anyone else thought about this?

[Guest Dannyboy]

I just had java with my prof--she's on U of T's selection committee--and I asked her about it. NO I have not and will not apply to U of T's med school--grad school was quite enough torture for me thank you! She said every school has their policies and that you should just make the request and appeal a decision that you don't agree with (assuming the school has an appeal process) BUT it is her understanding that pregnancy is rarely granted a deferral. Her understanding is that deferrals have been overly relied on and misused in the past so the schools are reluctant to give them out. It is only granted in *exceptional* cases and in situations that are truly unforeseen and unfortunate (but this would not include a death in the family or any other such traumatic circumstances) AND even then, they are only very rarely granted.

 

This is with the understanding that such a qualified candidate can always re-apply the next year or whenever he/she can. She said she would personally not allow a deferral based on pregancy since others have been turned down for the same reasons and many students are having to balance med school and family soooooooo....and she said that with such a situation, there are no clear guarantees that you would come back the following year since childbirth is a life-changing event whose outcome is impossible to predict. Therefore, you spot could be a wasted opportunity for another equally qualified candidate.

 

That being stated, she also said always give it a try AND once you are in then yes, you may ask for a leave of absence (she used another term but same same) and that if she were to chose which scenario to pick then the latter is definitely the one she would opt for. I'd take it all with a grain of salt buuuuuuuuuuuuut sounds about right.

[Guest UOMeds05]

Hey BJ,

 

I will venture to say that Ottawa is QUITE different than that described by the previous poster. I am not sure of the policies on deferral, but it is my impression that they have granted deferrals for a lot less.

 

I also am aware of a couple of students who have elected to take a year off to have a child. You will not be excused from class duties etc. but you may elect to defer a year to have a child... ie: take a year off between 2nd and 3rd year. I am not exactly certain of the policies etc. but know that it has been done in a number of instances.