Anyone got young children?

[cptKernow]

Just wondering how many mature applicants have young families and the problems associated.
I have a 3yr old and a 6mth old. I'm thinking it will probably take me the best part of 2 yrs before I'm on a course.

The biggest frustration for me is that I am pretty much limited to one choice of school as there is no way my wife is going to up sticks and live elsewhere for 4 years.

I'm also finding it is narrowing down the possibilities for doing a preparatory course. I.e. I'm pretty much limited to the OU for study if the school don't think my degree (BSc Psych) is bio-medical enough.

Would be interested to see how others in a similar situation are getting on.

[cptKernow]

On the plus side, do you think the schools take having raised children as caring experience.
(I'd challenge them not to!)

[dotvicky]

I have a 2 1/2 year old and a 6 month old and have applied for 2010 entry. My husband is being lovely and is supporting me in applying to London as well as my home town - Bristol (and Cardiff as a long shot).

Fortunately, we have family and many friends in London too so a move there wouldn't be the end of the world.

And I certainly find that parenting has a lot of parallels with medicine:
- constant learning
- infinite patience
- a caring attitude
- long hours (and bugger all pay)
- no time to be ill or generally 'not in the mood'
- plenty of bodily fluids
- lots of hard slog but with the occasional priceless reward.

Heheh.

Cheers
Vicky

[aspirant doc]

I am a single dad with a four year old and a two and a half year old, they are with me about half the week.

To be honest, it is exhausting, particularly as I have a busy part-time lot of jobs because I can't afford not to. But, that makes it all the more worthwhile!

Medical schools can be reasonably flexible; l do end up missing some stuff; the onus is on me to recover the lost ground; it isn't a huge problem.

Feel free to PM if you wish.

[clemette]

Mine are almost five and almost two. Their life is here in Nottingham (school/grandparents/friends/family) as is ours so I never even considered applying anywhere else than Nottingham.
So far, so good. I was working full-time before so they were used to childcare, and although I am not putting the same number of hours in at the library as many of my peers (I don't do any study at the weekends for example), I am doing OK so far.
What I was surprised about is how FEW parents there are on graduate entry courses - this year in Nottingham, only 4 of the 93 have children!

But parenting doesn't count as work experience I am afraid...

[Martigan]

Depends what you count as young. I have a 10 year old, but am in a position similar to aspirant doc.

I son is suportive and says he will be happy as long as he can see me. My ex is not happy about the financial reduced support, but is resigned to it and knows she has had more financial support that is normal the past 9 years, so is still overall quids in.

[Kittyco]

Just to leave a note to say, I am sort of in the same boat here. I've been thinking and planning of doing medicine for years now and I applied for 2010 entry with no hope to get in this year at all as I got the one of the lowest UKCAT in history. My son is 12months old and I really want to have another child before studying medicine. And I am facing the same disadvantage as everybody else, I only can apply for newcastle/durham university as my family based here. There is another worry, whether I can afford it. I want it so badly yet it is so far away and almost beyond my reach!

[469er]

10, 7, 3 and trying for another. Constantly oscillating between feeling ahead of the game in terms of time management and transferable skills (and did an OU degree when the first two were tiny so have played the kids-and-study game before) and then on the other hand feeling that all of my life is about trying to squeeze an ever-inflating quart into an undersized pint pot, and that I'm doing nothing properly. Seem to have coped academically so far, but constantly wondering when the shit will hit the fan. Am blessed with a fabulously grown-up and hands-off medical school who couldn't care less if I'm there or not (on the basis that it's on my own head), which puts me in a position to self-study anything I miss in the event of a family crisis (of which there have been a few so far). Having a flexible partner helps (mine is self-employed) for those situations where my study needs really have to take precedence. Whenever I feel it's just too hard for words, I remind myself that I won't have to compromise my postgrad training for maternity breaks because it'll all be behind me. Find myself fantasising about boarding schools occasionally, or sometimes think I might sell one (or more) of them to a nice American couple, which would kill two birds with one stone... Really and truly, I don't ever genuinely fear I won't make it through to the other end, but it isn't easy. HTH.

[dotvicky]

Constantly oscillating between feeling ahead of the game in terms of time management and transferable skills and then on the other hand feeling that all of my life is about trying to squeeze an ever-inflating quart into an undersized pint pot, and that I'm doing nothing properly.

LOL - I'm not even *at* med school yet and this sums up my feelings/thoughts exactly.

Cheers
Vicky

[alismith]

I'm in my first year, with kids of 8, 6 and 3 and a non-biological degree (psychology). Am finding it OK so far - I worked full time before, so used to having to juggle a bit - in fact, have had more time off/time with kids than I expected so far, but suspect that will change soon! I could only apply to one place within reasonable distance, luckily it worked out. My husband has had to pick up the double whammy of more childcare responsbilities (although I worked full time before I had a lot of autonomy and came and went when I wanted - now I can't drop off the kids and get to a 9 am lecture!) plus suddenly becoming main and only breadwinner - so I think he's probably finding things harder than me so far to be honest. Anyway, I haven't had a minute's regret so far, am loving the course and finding it manageable - but having said that, haven't had first set of exam results yet so don't really know if I'm putting in enough time! It took me several years to get to the point of applying, so I would very much say go for it...everyone tells me it's a "brave" thing to do, but I reckon in my case at least worst that can happen is it doesn't work out (which I imagine I'll know within the first year) and I waste £3k tuition fees and look a bit silly - can live with that risk! I think the tough bit will be junior doctor years, but kids will be older by then...