Best Time to Have a Baby in Medical School, When to Start Trying

Kelevra

A day for firm decisions! Or is it?

• #2

I also wonder if people find it doable to have a baby during a gap year of your application cycle, get accepted, and then defer a year, so you'd have ~ 1-1.5 years to get situated and work/raise your child, but have an acceptance slotted and ready to go for the next year. But traveling while pregnant is tough, just like being out of school for a couple of years is tough. If you could find a babysitter/afford daycare when the kid is older, that could help as well.

I have no idea about how having a baby after 3rd year would affect matching, but carrying during 3rd year might be tough.

• #3

I think the consensus is obviously before matriculation. But in terms of doing it IN medical school, getting pregnant right around interview season of 4th year, giving birth around match time, and then starting residency in July would be the best option in my opinion. Have a friend doing exactly this.

• #6

I few people in my class became parents during late MS1/early MS2.
They were all guys, for whatever it's worth.

I know of another person in the class that intends to have a baby in April of their MS3 year, then reap the benefit of an entirely easy/flexible 4th year schedule to allow more time for parenting/helping.
That person is also a guy, for whatever it's worth.

• #9

The summer between your second year and third year

Psai

This space for lease

• #14

Here's the best option that I've seen work well for those who do not want to take time off, give birth in February of the 4th year of medical school.

but you'll be pregnant for interviews

• #16

Interviews aren't done by the end of November, why would you say that? Most places don't even start interviews until November, so you're limiting yourself quite a bit if you only allow one month.

• #24

That's true, early MS4 is full of sub-Is and away rotations in some specialties. I think my longest hours were as an early MS4, and I didn't do any aways.

• #25

Uhhh...the summer of MS4 is far from easy/flexible.

I heard this guy has his 3rd year schedule stacked "hardest to easiest"-- in other words, essentially every required rotation outside the AI is accounted for by April MS3 (so there is that 28 day period of the MS4 year, true)... also I heard this guy is interested in one of the least competitive specialties -- so no requisite away rotations or mandatory specialty-specific AI's.

Other than something like "worrying about putting an application together, getting LOR's in line, etc"... I am genuinely interested in hearing the stuff he's apparently (?) forgotten.

Last edited: Apr 1, 2015

LizzyM

the evil queen of numbers

• #27

I will tell you what a Havard MBA with 3 kids told my husband and me over dinner, "There is no good time to have a baby; you have to just do it." Nine months later, our baby was born. You can attempt to plan but things don't always happen overnight and sometimes, when you think they'll take months, they do happen "overnight".

• #28

Depending on how Step 1 goes, a lot of people take Step 2 CK over the summer. I only have 1 core rotation this summer in addition to my AI, Step 2 study month, and another elective in my field where I can potentially get letters, and I certainly would not want to be helping out with a newborn if I were in his shoes (if I could help it).

Step 2.

Damn steps.

Always something.

samac

Tinfoil hoarder, Rojo extraordinaire

• #30

I plan on just waiting until I'm 30. 30 sounds good.

• #31

I plan on just waiting until I'm 30. 30 sounds good.

yup that's about the boat I'm in.
Residency seems like a much better option than medical school. Of course there are women who do it, but I imagine it's very very difficult.

• #35

We had 4-5 women in our class have babies this year. During 4th year is a pretty popular time. We also had a woman who had a baby during 1st year.

With the exception of 3rd year, I don't think there's any "best time." There will always be a "better" time to have a kid no matter where you are in life. Have one when you and your SO are ready and make it work.

• #36

We had 4-5 women in our class have babies this year. During 4th year is a pretty popular time. We also had a woman who had a baby during 1st year.

With the exception of 3rd year, I don't think there's any "best time." There will always be a "better" time to have a kid no matter where you are in life. Have one when you and your SO are ready and make it work.

Agreed.
What makes me cautious about 4th year is the thought of being pregnant during interviews, as well has having a newborn during your first year of residency

Best Time to Have a Baby in Medical School, When to Start Trying

Source: https://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/when-is-the-best-time-to-have-a-baby-during-med-school-or-before-during-or-after-residency.1128712/

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