hi everyone. i just registered after reading through some of the forums and i think this could be a good place for me. i am 23 years old and graduated with a B.S. in biology last may. for the last year i have been working in a developmental bio/molecular genetics lab in ohio. when i was in college, i was pre-med and planned to go to med school…until my husband and i found out we were pregnant. 
so! 
now we have both finished undergrad and our son will be 2 in the fall, and my thoughts return to medical school. research is alright, it’s interesting too, but i have this feeling that if i never atleast try to go to med school, i will regret it for the rest of my life. i just can’t see myself being a lab rat forever, and graduate school does not appeal to me like medicine does. i was a volunteer EMT/firefighter in college and loved it, and i know i could be a great doctor too. i am just a bit intimidated by the whole prospect, especially since i’m a “nontraditional” student with a family to care for and spend time with. as time goes on i am more and more sure i want to embark on the journey; i have started attempting to study to take the MCAT next spring! not very easy with a toddler. 
well i hope to get to know you all, thanks for having me.
nichole
Nicole, welcome and best of luck! You’ll find many kindred spirits here and useful info.
(It can be done! Please check out “Roll Call” — just search for it — many of the people on that list also have families to bring on this adventure). Take care…
Mary
Welcome aboard, Nichole!
In our family of OPMers you are sure to find other members who can relate and give you great advice and encourgement about pursuing a medical career while still enjoying your family.
Now don't be shy! Stick around, ask questions, and/or give advice (or opinions). Best of luck to you, and again, welcome to the family!
Welcome to OPM Nicole!
Studying with a toddler isn't easy but its not impossible either. One of my favorite pictures is one of me at the dinning room table with my 2mo. old daughter asleep in my lap and an organic chemistry textbook open in front of me. That was five years ago. Now my daughter is running around the house and I'm studying PALS (pediatric advanced life support) as part of my residency orientation. Time sure flys when you're having fun!
good luck,
tony
Welcome Nichole! Welcome to OldPreMeds! No, you are not old like the rest of us, but I sense that nontraditional spirit dwelling w/i you. Getting into medical school will present a challenge…would scare the hell out of me if it did not! But, if you are willing & able to make the commitment, do the work and make the sacrifices, I suspect that you can do it too. Specifically relating to your situation, you will need to always bear in mind that you are not on this journey alone - you have a family who will be right in the thivk of it with you. No, they will not be sitting in classes or taking exams with you, but you will find their role in your success to every bit as critical, if not more so, than the book & clinical work.
I wish you the best of luck & success! Please do not heistate to respond, or start a new thread, where you can provide us with more background, info on where you are in the game and how we might help you.
thanks for the great welcome everyone! i didn’t think my “real age” would be an issue here; besides having kids makes you age in dog years so i am more like 30. i agree, dave, that family is a wonderful asset for support, i just hope i do not neglect them in the process.
i was supposed to graduate from college right before our son was born, we had it all worked out. but i went into preterm labor and had to withdraw that semester, trading books for bedrest. mason was born 6 weeks premature, and has had quite a few health problems since. but somehow between ER visits and hospitalizations, we managed to go on and finish school. what we have been through in the last two years has proven to me that if we could make it through that, then surely med school is doable. anyhow, i am excited and i love having the goal in mind. even if i don’t make it, i will feel so much better knowing i took the chance. thanks again for the welcome.
nichole
Welcome Nicole!!! I have no doubt that you can do it if you put your mind to it. Keep hanging out and sharing your experiences. Tell us how you are doing it.
Welcome Nicole!
I emphathize with you and your toddler. I, too, am a postbacc student who has 2 year old twins…boy and girl…that are the biggest blessing I could ever have imagined. At times they do make it a challenge to study and keep up with classes, though. They don't call them the terrible twos for nothing! Time management skills will be needed to do well. It can and has been done many times by people that turned out to be excellent physicians.
Just remember: It's not the age that matters…it's the mileage!