starting a family




Hello everyone. My ultimate goal is to become a psychiatrist. As for now, I’m only in my first year as a biology major. I would say that i’m off to a good start because I have simplified my lifestyle so that i can focus on getting good grades by spending most of my time studying. I’m 31 yrs. old and presently, I am not married, have no kids and cut back on a lot of expenses. My grades, study habits and dicipline are all on point but, my only concern is that I will be in my early 40’s when i am finished with my training and i don’t want to wait that long before starting a family. I am seeking advice from someone out there has been or know someone that has had this same dilema. I understand that there is a big difference between already having a family and starting one while in school. Thank-you

While I can understand your concerns, as a male you are not as tied to the biological clock. I totally understand your wanting to be a youngish dad, but I think that during the course of your UG, Med School and Residency year, you’ll be meeting a lot of people (males and females)…if it is meant to happen, it will. There are a few Dads on this forum that will probably be able to answer your questions in more detail (OldManDave and Gabe).


Good luck with your studies, and welcome to the forum.

John, though my classmates are mostly younger, quite a few are having kids while in med school. It’s not impossible. This is particularly common among my Mormon classmates: they returned from their missions, went to school, and got married before or during med school. Their spouses help keep some income coming in and they live very frugally even with kids.


Not saying it would be a picnic, but people DO do it.


One of my classmates, age around 30, had a toddler when she started med school and has another baby due the summer after first year. Her husband is a 4th-year med student. Clearly it’s going to be a challenge, but she’s a pretty tough cookie.

A number of my male classmates have children. Some had children prior to med school and several have had children since we started. As far as I know, I am the only female to have had a child in our class, although there have been a couple in the classes ahead of me.


It’s a challenge, but doable. You learn to budget your time even better than before. I’m sure 3rd year (and residency) will be an even greater challenge, but others have done it before me and I know it will be worth it in the end.