Hello to everyone who is out there, I know there are more moms like me which is why I decided to join this forum. I am 26 years old, a wife and a mother to a 2 year old daughter. I am in school part-time and work part-time. I work at a hospital with medicare patients so I get to meet with a lot of patients bed-side which is nice. I also watch my niece with my own daughter 4 days a week for a little extra income. I volunteer 12 hours a week as a domestic violence advocate at the hospital. I take overnight shifts to just fit it in. I am just about a junior in undergrad as a Biology major. I only take two classes a semester, does that look bad to medical schools? Should I be taking more? I feel so alone in this process. Most of my husbands family don't even know what I am doing because they are kind of negative about it and I have a hard enough time convincing myself I can do this so I don't really talk about it. My husband is behind me, I think. I think the whole thing really scares him. The unknown of it all, the gamble.
Deep down I know this is what I want to do. When you are standing in an open heart surgery and you don't even want to take a break because you don't want to miss a thing,you stand there studying every nook and crany of that open chest just to learn more. You see a code and all you want to do is jump in a do the compressions your self. These are the things that remind me I want to be a doctor. When you meet with a patient and they don't understand what is going on, and the physician comes in and allows them the first deep breath in hours knowing their family member will be OK. Its times like that that you know.
What I want to know is why it is looked at so negatively. I am shocked every time I have said what I am doing at the response I get. Has anyone else had this issue? I just want to be a doctor, why is that a bad thing? When they ask my why, I can't really put it into words, when you know, you just know. Right? It is a feeling so deep within my heart and soul, unless you are on the same path, you really can't understand. Someone tell me I am not crazy for doing this.

Good Morning to all you pre-med mommies! Does anyone else ever feel guilty for not being at home with your family when you are at the library studying because its the only place you can really study? Do you guys ever feel this constant tug on your heart between going for what you want(becoming a doctor) or just being home and soley taking care of your family. Sometimes I think it seems like staying home would be easier. Ummm, yea, it would be easier. What would it feel like to get to the end of the road though, and know you never followed your dream, I can't live with that. In the end, I think I will be a better person, and better mom and wife because I am doing what I was meant to do.

So, after a lot of consideration, I will be taking off this semester. My husband is bumped up the amount of credits for this semester to finish by June, so I decieded to allow him the time to get it done without the extra stress of me being in class three days a week. Now that my classes are getting heavy and with so many lab days, I just think it is the best option for us and our daughter if one of us is consistanly here with her. After June though, I am pulling out all the stops. I have decieded to transfer to a private catolic college instead of the U of M because the class sizes I think will be much more managable for me. I really enjoyed my previous school and its small class sizes. I think, even though the U would prefer taking a student form their own college over an "outsider", I will get so much more out of the experiance at the smaller school. I do have some fears about the lack of oportunities available in research and such. I hope it is a decision that I will be happy with in the end. I also have made the decision that I am going to apply to some medical schools outside MN. I want to at least see what possabilities are going to be available to my family and I. But that is a bridge we will cross when we get there.
To anyone who is reading this, I am sorry for the ongoing boring details of my life, but it really is a gift to be able to feel I am sharing my thoughts and dreams with other moms in the same position I am in. Thank you for reading, I am sure there is going to be pleanty more where this came from.

I feel like I spend a lot of time thinking about what I will write in my personal essay for applications about what made me decide to want to persue medicine. It almost seems unfair that we put so much effort into just getting to the application process to then possibly not get accepted. I think if you have done a great job getting to that point, that should be enough. I know, dream on. But it would be really nice if it were that "easy".

Sometimes I really wish I had figured out earlier in life to take school more seriously and do what I wanted to do from the start. When I first started college after high school, I was told I really wouldn't be able to get into medical school so I sat in my classes with no direction. I didn't know what else I would want to do for the rest of my life. After my daughter was born, I realized I need to show her you can do what you dream of, and I am going to be her example of that. I just wish I had listened to my heart sooner.

If anyone out there has an answer to this question- please let me know. What I want to know is am I better off going to the private college with small classes where I think I will continue to do well OR transfer to the state school where I might not do as well because of class size but might have a better chance at medical school because I did undergrad there? Is there really a better chance if I go to undergrad at the same school as medical school? I won't be able to move to another state , so my plan needs to be strategic. There is only two medical schools in minnesota. I don't have a lot of options. Anyone out there? Help me figure this out!

Well, this time off is proving to be good. I am spending more time with my family. I am starting to learn that this may be one of the last full summers off for a really long time! I will miss my family, cooking dinners, and just loving up my family. But, the pay off will be that I would be a physician.

on another note-

I was reading over what the questions for a school interview, one was "what will you do if you don't get into medical school?" Ummm, keep applying?! I don't really want to plan another career. If I am not a physician, I wouldn't really enjoy any other job. Anyone else with me?

Well, here we go. My husband just graduated (congrats honey!) and with the next two months being my last times off for a very long time I am feeling a little scared. Now with my husband done, the spotlight is going to be on me.
As I have said before, I have some family who are not entirely on board with the idea of medical school. And as much as their attitudes will not decide my fate, I know their eyes will completely be looking at me. Waiting for me to fall, crumble, end my journey of becoming something I want more than I can even explain in words. But I know I will be the one laughing in the end.
The next couple of years are going to determine the rest of my life. I am ready. I am confidant. I am patient. Good things are coming to this woman who is not just waiting, but doing.

medicine sucks. and once you start you are so roped in with loans etc that you have to go on. I will not be done with training until I am 37 years old.... yup. that's real. If I could do it again, would I? NO! Would have done PA school - similar responsibility, less years of bs training and in the right environment same level of autonomy... make sure you really explore your options- didn't even know about PA until way to late..

Hang in there, keep working on your dream. You do have to really want it, but I think it sounds to me like you do. I also have a ridiculous amount of debt and won't be done with training until I'm 38. But, I worked really hard to get here (5 MCAT's, anyone?) and I'd still do it again in a second.