Parenting/Pregnancy at King's College?

[HShep]

Hello there. Just wondered if anyone had any comments on how supportive King's is where pregnant students are concerned? Are they willing to make accommodations regarding exams/attendance (specifically, when the baby is born)? Could one take a year out if necessary? Any personal experiences you're willing to share?

Many thanks!
Shep

[469er]

Hello there. Just wondered if anyone had any comments on how supportive King's is where pregnant students are concerned? Are they willing to make accommodations regarding exams/attendance (specifically, when the baby is born)? Could one take a year out if necessary? Any personal experiences you're willing to share?
Many thanks!
Shep

Hi there
I think you would find King's pretty supportive, but wherever you study there would inevitably be better and worse times to have a baby and King's is no exception. Taking a year out would be no problem at all, and as far as I know this needn't be a specific academic year, i.e. you could roll off when your baby is born, and roll back on at the same point of the following academic year - all that is necessary is that you complete your rotations and exams before progressing further. I can see that that might bring its difficulties, though, in that you would be fitting in with a new cohort, without any of the opportunities for orientation that occur at the beginning of a new academic year. You would be able to ask for rotations that are local to you once you have a baby, btw.

In my view the preclinical years are better than the clinical years, though. King's is very relaxed about attendance and it would be entirely possible just to take as much time off as you needed during years 1 & 2 without formally withdrawing, provided things were straightforward enough with your pregnancy, birth and all that comes after for you to self-study the course material, submit in-course assessment and sit your exams successfully. I know someone who did this, and wish very much that I had had the foresight to do the same, as I'd really like to have another baby before finishing medschool, but can't afford to take a year out.

HTH