Med school and a family

jcda1 · Rookie Joined: 13 Jun 2008 Posts: 1

Hi

I plan on applying for med school next year in ireland. I am getting married this year, and even though I really want to go to med school I just as badly want to start a family in the next two years with my wife. Do you think this is possible?

Is there anybody else in this position with some wisdom to share?

Thanks

yuyuandmarmar · Veteran Joined: 13 Aug 2007 Posts: 58

Well, I think as a man you are in a better position that a woman wanting to do med, because men don't need to take time off for pregnancy, birthing etc. Despite our social progression, child-bearing and child-rearing are still traditionally female roles and I dont see why you can't be a doctor and still be a supportive husband and father. I would actually recommend you have the baby now while you are still a student and have a bit more time to devote to your family.

I've written before that I'm a mum of two, currently applying to med this year. I'm glad that I've gotten child-bearing, breast-feeding out of the way, and wont have to take maternity leave and compromise my position in training porgrams post-graduation. I wanted to stay and raise them during their infant/toddler years exclusively (while writing up my PhD) and to dedicate myself to them. Now that my kids are in kinder/school, and my husband is a school teacher, I feel that the time is right to achieve my second dream of being a doctor. However, if I had to choose between the two, my family would come first.

I say go for it....the sooner the better. And remember, the biological clock stops for no-one.

Lyrebird · Rookie Joined: 20 Aug 2008 Posts: 4

I am a woman and plan to have 2 kids while doing medical school! I think it's a lot easier for a guy because you don't have to be pregnant and breast feed. I think it's totally doable. My husband is at home doing his PhD so at least someone will be at home. I think it's about having a family when the time is right and you just make your life work around it.

My dad is a doctor and a lot of his male friends had kids while at med school no probs!

Lovebite · Posted: Wed Aug 20, 2008 12:07 pm Post subject:

May be a good idea to wait and see how university is going, and then make your decision to get pregnant?

At least then Medical school isn't an unknown quantity,.... and you'll know how much pressure you're under,.... and whether a baby will make it impossible for you or not.

The other option of course, is to consider a year or even possibly 2 during your degree to have your baby and get settled down?

Its going to be hard work,... but I'm sure you wouldn't be the first. Its just important that you know were you're at before you do something big Wink

definitelymaybe · Rookie Joined: 15 Sep 2008 Posts: 2

My mum had me while she was in (undergrad) med school. Dad was also at uni. They had a lot of support from my grandparents, and I was in preschool when I was 2 (and had a great time there Very Happy

). So I'd say family support does matter. It should be doable!

GAMSATtutor · Veteran Joined: 24 Jan 2009 Posts: 45

um, how are you supposed to be a full time doctor if you are a full time parent ?

isn't it a bit unfair to take up a place when there is someone else who wants to dedicate their life to medicine, rather than a family ?

and to be a good doctor you really need to study full time to make the most of your course

of course you can do both, but it is something that requires a lot of dedication

there is a course that is online that you can study. It caters for full time parents. The daughter of an admin lady at my uni is studying by that method (to avoid the country stints etc). I think it is a 4 year course.She said that the Australian government recognises it, but I would suspect that you would have to sit the overseas qualified doctor test and be subject to the 5 year "area of need" working restriction. Personally I would only go to a well known, high standard uni to get the best education.

yuyuandmarmar · Veteran Joined: 13 Aug 2007 Posts: 58

Lovebite · Posted: Sat Jan 24, 2009 5:00 pm Post subject: Re: being a full time parent

yuyuandmarmar · Veteran Joined: 13 Aug 2007 Posts: 58

Sadly, I think the idiot is serious.

GAMSATtutor · Veteran Joined: 24 Jan 2009 Posts: 45

well if someone who is 80 gets a place and doesn't work are they taking the place of someone else who would make better use of the degree ??

g use your brain

if someone just takes a place and doesn't work then it is unfair to someone else who may travel the world helping out in 3rd world countries etc

yuyuandmarmar · Veteran Joined: 13 Aug 2007 Posts: 58

Do you even think before you type, or are you on permanent brain by-pass?? You are making so many incorrect assumptions, it would be funny if they weren't so silly. So all students who are also parents are going to inevitably stay home after they finish their degrees, is that what you think? Or is it only the females that you are tarring with your prejudiced brush? Haven't you ever heard of Fiona Wood? Australian of the Year, pioneer in burns treatments? Mother of SIX???

Wake up to the reality. The graduate medical program is tailor made to attract older, more mature students, with greater life experience, into the field of medicine. Nothing teaches you more about compassion and sacrifice than having children. To suggest that training parents is a waste of resources is the height of ignorance and discriminatory to boot.

And for your information, a wise person once told me that you could save more lives handing out mosquito nets in Africa, than you ever could as a doctor working there.

Goes to show you that not everyone with a score in the 80's has the mental maturity to become a doctor. Your comments on this board are loaded with thinly veiled arrogance ("I met some girls who had sat the GAMSAT 5 years in a row (maybe they shouldn't become doctors)' or 'Personally I would only go to a well known, high standard uni to get the best education').

And how is it that someone who got 82, lives and is willing to tutor in WA for the GAMSAT, is supposed to be starting at Deakin in less than a week's time? After all, you did say you got in first go, and you interviewed at Deakin ('I had to sign a contract')???

GAMSATtutor · Veteran Joined: 24 Jan 2009 Posts: 45

g you really need to get a life

have you ever even done any volunteer work overseas ?

yuyuandmarmar · Veteran Joined: 13 Aug 2007 Posts: 58

Lovebite · Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2009 9:59 pm Post subject: Re: .

svb · Rookie Joined: 29 Jan 2009 Posts: 7 Location: London

Well said lovebite!