Having and Raising Children During Physician Training: Medical School

Abstract

There is so much to consider when having and raising children during medical school, that the thought alone can be overwhelming. Some will come to medical school having already experienced the joys and challenges of motherhood but are about to see some of those stressors explode exponentially. As a student affairs dean for over 9 years and medical student mentor and advisor for almost two decades, I have advised and supported karthick many medical students who have successfully managed to have children during medical school. In this chapter, one of my former students Ashley shares her incredible story about managing all 4 years of medical school as a single parent by choice. Others, though, will want to hold onto the hopes of having control in planning for their futures. Why not? We are so used to meticulously crafting every next step of our personal and professional lives, so planning for children should not be any different. If planning is an option and in your favor, then timing of children in medical school can potentially make a big difference. Yet each woman is an individual, and factors important to one may be less important to others.