I am due in June, smack dab in the middle of a rotation with someone who has the reputation of inflexibility...so I am not sure what will happen. I may need to make it up, but am hoping to take off 1 week...It is my last rotation of 3rd year and I intend on no time off, mainly for the fact that my family needs to get life back on track. Perhaps I will schedule a vacation just after it. Then we move (where I am not sure because I have not had 4th year rotations set up yet) somewhere across the country (gotta get back west) Where boards fit into this, I think they will be after the child is born, but I can't schedule that until I know where I will live...even the state!

I am going on my experience with my first child and C section. After the pain meds from the surgery wore off I was fine to function and the pain was bearable once the staples were out. I suppose if things were different, I would ask for time off, but my family is so miserable with the medical school experience that I can not prolong it any more. My biggest concern is having a base site that I can go home to see my hubby and 2 kids every night (or most). I can not bear the thought of rotating at away sites and not seeing them for >4 weeks. I know that will happen a few times, but am hoping for just a few rotations.

anyone have any tips? anyone gone back to rotations that soon after having a baby? It will be tough any way you go about it, but time off does not seem to be an option to my hubby.

Oh! That sounds so hard!

I understand the sense that your family just isn't going to last any longer with this. But, couldn't you delay just even the very end of the year's work by at least - well, even 2 months? You probably have that much vacation time 4th year, right? My school even let me put off a required 3rd year core rotation (all of surgery) until after all of my subI / specialty 4th year rotations were done and I was even almost done interviewing for residency (clearly, I'm not going into surgery...). So, overall, it gave me a great cushion after my daughter was born, and didn't add any time to my total med school time.

Even someone with a reputation for inflexibility has to give on something like this... it's not like you can just reschedule it!

Oh - and, are you going into a specialty where you *have* to do away rotations? I didn't do any (same with many people I know) and it doesn't seem to have hurt me in my residency applications at all... I realize it's somewhat specialty specific, though (and med school, too, perhaps).

I think your attending still would have to listen to the powers-that-be at your school, who pretty much have to give you at least a few weeks leave for having a baby (at least 6 weeks if you have a C/S, especially; I'm not sure you'd be medically cleared before that).

That's a tough situation. I know I would find it hard. However, you know what you can handle, and you've had a little one before. Hopefully your school is flexible with time off. The registrar can and should pull a few strings for you in terms of 4th year scheduling. Can you take something like a research month or creative writing or something lighter for part of 4th year?

Thank you for your replies, they helped me sort out some things. I have also talked about these concerns with my family. there are no easy decisions.

well the issues that I need to contend with are:
1. No base site for 4th year. Good thing is I can go where ever I want. Bad side is coming home to my family daily may be tough at times.

2. My family has been anxious to get back west since we left and were determined to do it for my last year, then I got pregnant (which was kinda planned but the timing if off.) If due 2 months before or after when it comes It would not be a factor. But I think we have to stay where we are for the next year, which means I HAVE to do away rotations in order to have a chance of getting back west for residency.

And questions to seek answers for are:
1. can i continue with 4th year and just make up the missed 3rd year one sometime prior to graduation? it is not that essential, its Geriatrics, which I feel I practice in most of medicine anyway!

2. how will I manage help for my hubby with the 2 kids when I am not around for 4 weeks at a stretch?

3. I need to look up how much vacation time I have for 4th year so I can allow for extra time off during the month of expecting.

4. Estimated time off needed as recommended by my OB. They would basically have to comply.

5. are there any "light" rotations that I am interested in? I will have to look at the surrounding area, I have been planning what I will do out west (in the DO realm, which is limited) so I am not totally familiar with what is here. As an adrenaline junkie, I love ICU, EM, trauma stuff...but i am sure i will welcome the break in pace!

thanks again, I will keep you all updated.
on lighter news, i find out boy/girl later this week!!!

All those sound like questions that could be easily answered by your school's administration. I don't know much about DO schools, but I wonder if there's a community hospital that you could do most of your rotations at out west so you wouldn't have to travel. Maybe your school has good relations with one. Although it probably makes a difference if "out west" means Alaska vs LA .

Let us know if it's a girl or a boy! I find out in Feb! Yay!