I am a single mom with a nine month old son, three years away from my undergraduate degree. I want to go to med school to become an OB/GYN. Is it possible even though I will be the only one at home at night to care of my son. What can I expect my study time to be like in Medical school??

Raina

Hi Raina - I'll address the med school study time issue, hoping that others will address your OB/GYN career question!

Years one and two, I studied most nights and every waking minute right before test blocks (they have this maddening way of planning a test in every class to fall within a five-seven day period - UGH!) Non-test block studying was 2-3 hours on weeknights, the same or a little more on weekends unless I was behind, I think (so long ago... not really, started this only eight years ago, but I think I'm aging in dog years these days). Gross lab - forget it, you're in there most nights. Of course, there were nights when I said "ER's on, all bets are off" and just vegged, which you must do occassionally (sp? oh how I need a dictionary nearby!). Oh, and try to maintain a couple of friendships outside of your classmates, although that was a challenge for me, my girlfriends were all still going out every Thursday until 2 am and dating flavors-of-the-month. Heh, the good old days. Sleep quickly becomes much more appealing.

Third year, your time varies according to your rotation - some are great and you are home by five every night with an hour or two of reading, or you can cram it all in at the end of the block. Others you are on call every third or fourth night, at the hospital. Fourth year where I went to school was a joke - only worked hard two months out of 11. Got to know my spouse again.

My advice, which I read somewhere recently and really identified with: Find a great babysitter with whom you would leave a million dollars - THEN consider leaving your son with him or her! (And then send me her name and number, PLEASE!! )

Best of luck to you in your studies...

Hi!
I'm a 4th year med student (finally), with a 7 year-old boy. Med school has been a challenge, but has also been absolutely the best time of my life. The friends I've made are true blue.
If you complete undergrad and still want to go into medicine you can do it. Plan for single parenthood, but who knows?
Most studying can be done during the day and at night after your little one is tucked away. There's more than one reason a pretty strict bedtime should be in place. Kids need it and so do moms (esp med students). Start now (well, soon anyway:)
Expect to borrow a little extra dollars to pay for the help you will need. I'm married to a SNAG (sensitive new age guy), who is a great dad, and after three years of med school a great cook too. The first two years can be done mostly during regular business hours. You can study anatomy during the day or from live cadaver atlases. Some say it doesn't work, but I had a good, solid B. A single mom needs someone to help with odd hours of 3rd and 4th year clinical rotations. Find a housekeeper, and start looking early at chruches and your college's employment center for someone to help you out. This person should be willing to come to your home early or stay the night to get your child to school when you have to leave early, or with whom your child can stay overnight for calls etc. Find a few such persons (I swear they exist!) in case one is busy/backs out. Spouses of fellow students are always a resource too. I don't know if it was just my school, or what, but folks around here will do practically anything for you (E. TN State Univ, Johnson City, TN).
You can study medicine if you want to, and it really isn't that difficult.
Good luck!
Whe