Hi all,
Happy I found this site, and shout out to Dr. Ryan Gray and Medical School HQ for pointing here in his great podcasts.
I’m a 35yo woman (turning 36 tomorrow!) and after a major life event last year, have felt that my true calling is being a physician. I have a couple science prereqs left to take and the MCAT, and some great docs lines up to shadow over the next few,months to confirm my desire to be a doctor. If I stay with this track, I’ll apply next year for a 2019 med school start.
By then I’ll be 38. My boyfriend is super supportive of me becoming a doc, but we are also getting serious about getting married and having kids. Wondering what you all think about starting med school and having babies in the same few years? Anybody have young ones or planning to at the same time as med school? Yes, i know it may be crazy, but is it still doable?
Thanks for your thoughts!
Hello friend! I am in the same position as you in regards to a family/medicine and trying to figure out the demands of our biology while studying and pursuing this career. I am not yet in medical school, but, I believe this is totally doable…
Feel free to message me if you ever want to chat about fears of our upcoming tribulations, but for now, stop what you’re doing and go listen to The PreMed Years podcast #219.It is a full hour long, but completely relevant to our situations (especially the last 5 minutes).
I have a dear friend who was an M1, had a baby and deferred a year. Then she finished M2, and had another baby, and again, deferred a year. She is now going back to finish her last two years and then may teach for a bit before going into residency. I am not saying this is an ideal way to complete medical school, but there is always a way.
When I started med school, my kids were 2 and 4. Depending on your school, you can typically work out a pretty good balance during the first 2 years. I have several classmates who had babies during the school year, and took a few weeks off and came back and continued the course. Others have deferred a year. It’s definitely do-able if you’re committed and you have a supportive partner.
Thanks you guys. Dr. Gray talked about my question on The Old Premeds Podcast #80, and after listening to that I googled some stuff about med student moms, etc. I feel a little calmer about it now. I guess you just figure out a way to keep life moving forward!
OMG! Me too! Turning 37 this year. I literally talk about how scared I am in my Instagram all the time. Just started my second premed class. Because I work full time +, I’m taking one class at a time. Yikes. It will be a while! I would love to connect with you guys!!
I have a 5 year old boy and a 10 year old boy, work as a crisis psychotherapist, have been doing prereqs part time since summer of '16 and I just found out at the end of July that I am pregnant with another child. 
It’s hard but with help it can be done!
I’m just sort of rejoining this site after a few years, but I’m a 4th year and I had a baby in 3rd year. It’s TOTALLY DOABLE and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise!! Everyone’s experiences are different & I would never tell anyone it’s easy but in many ways I think I had a little bit more of a forgiving experience with a newborn than all the resident new moms (and there are plenty of those!).
Goodluck!!
Yep
totally agree. Doable. Tough, but doable. I started my prereqs right when I had my daughter (second kids). I went through med school and now a PGY-1 prelim IM/ Radiology. My kids are now 7 and 10. There is a lot of organization and for sure, you will miss some precious time, which makes the time you have with your family even more precious.
It is not easy, but it is very doable. I think Gaberleman, probably an attending now went through Med School and Residency with 4 kids!!!
Good luck.
@redo-it-all wrote:
Yep
totally agree. Doable. Tough, but doable. I started my prereqs right when I had my daughter (second kids). I went through med school and now a PGY-1 prelim IM/ Radiology. My kids are now 7 and 10. There is a lot of organization and for sure, you will miss some precious time, which makes the time you have with your family even more precious.
It is not easy, but it is very doable. I think Gaberleman, probably an attending now went through Med School and Residency with 4 kids!!!
Good luck.
Started medical school with 3 girls, finished medical school/residency/fellowship with 4 girls. Takes a lot of time, scheduling, and creativity but doable
One girl in my class started 1st year with one kid and had her second kid during the summer between MS1 and 2. She ended up taking one year off to care for the new baby but picked right back up the following year. Her husband works and they have a nanny.
I have a few other friends in school with kids and they have gone with au pairs and can’t imagine living without them.