add your tile to this mosaic!!

Sethina

Diana, how was the process of returning to apply for residency after a gap of a few years?? was it very difficult in terms of getting a match? I am just planning on starting med school in the fall, but I also have been working on a masters in education/teaching certification the past year. I would like to utilize my MD degree to teach as well as clinical practice (perhaps at different times) and would like to spend some time teaching at the high school level since I've enjoyed working with that age also... But more to the point, I was also thinking, perhaps it would be nice to take a few years off after med school if at that time I might want to start having kids etc. and then go back for residency a little later (I'm not even married or anything, I'm just thinking long term & in terms of the biological clock- I'd be like 27-28 then). What do you think of the gap between med school and residency??

Hi,
My name is Chandra. My friends call me Chan...(Shawn). I am a 35 yearold, single mother of two of the greatest kids in the world: Dana and Tory. I am a junior Biology major at Athens State University in northern Alabama. I have always wanted to become a doctor but somewhere along the line I lost confidence in myself. On New Year's Day (2000) I promised myself that I would pursue my dream. At that time I was working full time and struggling, to say the least. I didnt see how I was going to return to school and support my young family. After speaking with my parents who have stood behind me from the beginning, I decided to quit my full time job,move in with my parents and attend school full time. Here I am 3 years later and I am so proud of myself. I knew I could do it! Let me say, the road has had its share of difficulties..but it has been worth every bit. I love myself for making the decision to DO MY DESTINY! It has been awesome and this website has been a key player along the journey. Thanks MomMd!!!!!!!!!!!!

The best to everyone,
Chan :wave:

Hi!!
My name is Marian, I'm 24, (going on 25 in oct),an RN for 3 years and single. I will be taking my last full semester of pre-reqs and will be studying to take the MCAT's next year in Aug. That means I will be applying to Med school in 2005, which means I will start in 2006 (if I'm one of the lucky ones). I decided not to rush myself through this process and jump into med school right away by taking the April 2004 MCAT and applying that summer. I want to feel like I am as prepared for med school as I possibly can. I still want to be able to explore life a little and experience what it has to offer me. I feel the more experience I can get(personal and career wise) will make me be a more well rounded applicant. Recently, I have started to have doubts about my goals in life. I do want a family and do want to be a mother but I also want to know more about medicine. I want to have the ability to have answers for my patients questions and overall to have the knowledge and capability to help cure the ill. I am wondering what I can do where I can have the best of all worlds. I'm worried about having kids too late in life and the complications from it, family stress, MD burnout, not being able to raise your kids the way you want. (is it all going to be worth it?) PA/NP has crossed my mind. Either way, I am continuing on with my last full semester. Hopefully be the end of the year, I will be strong and confident in the choice I will make for my future. This site has been wonderful. I was just an observer before but now with everything that I have been thinking about, I needed someone who understands what I am going through to "vent" my thoughts off and now I am a more active participant. :-) (if only I knew how it would be like for me 10-15 years from now)...

Hello! I responded to Sethina's "lurkers" message with an intro, but here it is again. I'm Stacy, a 28-year-old single female (with a supportive boyfriend). I live in the Washington, D.C. area and work in publishing, but I want to be a doctor!

Since I have no science background, I'm taking my prereqs slowly for now. I started some basic math classes (to prep for the science classes) at my local community college, and I'll be applying to full-time post-bacc programs for next summer or fall (2004). Wish me luck!

It's nice to meet all of you. I love the support network here.

Love,
Stacy

Hi everyone,

My name is Marie I'm 28 years old and work for a television station. I went to Art college for 5 years. Although I am still an artist, I regret putting myself in debt for art school since I now know that my true calling is to become a doctor.

I am having a hard time paying my student loans off; collection agencies are after me and threatening to sue me! :crossfingers: I took one class so far, a pre-university biochemistry class. I did well in it which was encouraging. :hyper:

I would like to comment on those who are struggling in the medical profession. It's not the same, but I can empathize! Working in film and television is horrible. I work shift work and long hours too, the pay isn't great, and the people who work in this industry are pretentious and shallow. I "landed" in this career while I was still in college so it wasn't really a choice for me. I was hoping for something creative, but I ended up being pigeon-holed into technical positions because I'm good at it. I have to keep at it though, I really need the money!

I originally wanted to become a medical illustrator, but realized that getting that kind of work would be difficult, also that it was just a round about way of pursuing my dream.

I recently moved in with my boyfriend whom I met in art college. He is extremely supportive of my career change and is very encouraging...too bad he's too broke to pay for my schooling!

I love this forum, it is really good to hear that there are others in similar situations..I thought I was alone! :grouphug:

Thanks for listening!

M-A

Hi,
Ready for a novel? And God help the poor patient who doesn't have an easily diagnosed illness!

Finally, after nine years of "it's all in your head"/"Just learn to live with it" humiliation from the doctors in my HMO, :banghead: a blessed MD who specializes in integrative medicine diagnosed my illness- mercury poisoning! And just as I was showing signs of liver failure too!

So now, two years later, I am blissfully regaining my health, in love with the sweetest man in the world, and trying to figure out how I can use my life to help provide good medical care for low income patients.

I was thinking that being an MD would be my ultimate goal, but seeing all the posts from women who have achieved that goal only to find that doing both medicine AND families meant that they had to hired someone else to raise their children, I'm a bit hesitant.
But my love and I have agreed that I'll just carry on with my studies and see where God's will takes me!

Anyone here happily running both a family AND an a practice? Love to hear about it!

And Sethina- God bless you for this site- it's the best thing since penicillin

Hi Everyone!!

I'm Kim AKA pathdr2b the future doctor previoulsy known on mommd as spiritdoc2b!

I'm curently working on my PhD in molecular pathology and in a fellowship at the National Cancer Institute where I work in the department of pathology. I'll be taking the MCAT next April and applying to medical school for the class begining in the fall of 2005.

My goals are to complete the MD/PhD and enter a residency in Anatomic Pathology. I hope to have a career in cancer research. :wave:

I just discovered MOMMD today during my hunt for information on women in medicine. I am thankful for the discovery!!
I am 42, married to a wonderful stay at home Dad (a former kindergarten teacher). We have three kids (5,7,15) and a 12 year old great dane. I started out in Family Medicine - but found after 3 years that I prefer the E.R. I am now a fulltime ER doc.
I am writing a book (fiction) - based on the medical school journey of several characters. Any advice on finding a literary agent would be appreciated.
As a strong well educated woman I have struggled with the sexism issues, staff feeling intimidated issues from time to time. I also struggle with the desire to spend more time with my family.
Any advice - or empathy - is greatly appreciated.
I am feeling somewhat overwhelmed these days....

Hi, My name is Rose

I am a 33 y/o mother of one (7 y/o) who has a Clinical Doctorate in Audiology and has been practicing for about 10 years. However, I have always wanted to go to med school to be an ENT. Recently, though, I realized that OBGYN has a lot of aspects that I really like (except the hours), for instance the continuity of care and surgical combination. :rolleyes:

I only have a couple of pre-reqs and they were taken eons ago, so I am going to retake them and take the MCAT in April of 2005. My only fear about entrance to med school is my score on the MCAT (I usually take tests very very well) and my GPA for undergrad, which was 3.45. Master's was 4.0 and my doctorate was 3.97. My downfall was the first two semesters of UG, which were PARTY time!!

My husband is extremely supportive of me - I can't figure out why.

I am trying to figure out if I can logistically take my pre-reqs and work full/part time - it will be tough!!

Love this site, it has some really good comments (and a lot of realistic comments!!)

Rose