Session 119 In this episode, Ryan is joined by co-host Allison, as they tackle a question coming from a MSHQ listener, Grace, who seeks to know more about parenthood as a physician. Grace is a premed student and she also wants to have kids and people think she is crazy. So this episode talks about how it is not really crazy to have a kids even when you’re pursuing your career as a physician. Yes, you can be a parent and a physician at the same time! Parenthood is part of life and you just have to know how to deal with it. You can make it work. You can be a parent and a physician at the same time. You absolutely can do it! Here are the highlights of the conversation with : Deciding when is a good time to have a child: Allison going through the pregnancy when she was out of residency (a conscious decision on Ryan and Allison’s part) The hardships of having baby during residency The ramifications of having a maternity/family medical leave - 12 weeks of unpaid leave Postponing graduation depending on the program (other programs have an elective time) There is no perfect time to have a child. More of a personal decision Know what the situation would be in your program Being new to the workforce as a physician and breaking the news that you’re having a baby: Allison breaking the new after 16 weeks Make sure to let your boss know first. The contention about women’s pay: Patricia Arquette’s speech at the Oscar’s about also paying attention to women in our society Women are not being paid as much as men How having a baby has changed things: It will change your life forever (in a great way) Dealing with hormonal/physical changes while taking care of patients (during pregnancy) Maternity leave is important Allison having 13 weeks off (unpaid) The importance of joining a mom’s group/community to get that support The change in mindset A hard transition at first but it’s totally doable! Priorities have changed No more sticking around at work More no nonsense and you become more efficient Dealing with the cognitive decline: Sleep deprivation as a factor: You can’t have too much caffeine when you’re pregnant. Having extended leave can help Coping with all the changes Taking one day off a week to spend time with your family Adjusting when transitioning back to work Ryan’s perspective: Exhaustion Support Dealing with the woman’s hormonal/emotional roller coaster First several months were very hard Not much you can do as a dad but to support Starts to get more fun after a few months Know the federal laws: 12 weeks unpaid leave A private place for you to use a breast pump at work Links and Other Resources Episode 61 - Medical School Mom – Prioritizing Family, School and More Free MCAT Gift: Free 30+ page guide with tips to help you maximize your MCAT score and which includes discount codes for MCAT prep as well. Get us free on your device. Subscribe and listen to new episodes each week. Visit www.medicalschoolhq.net/listen Hang out with us over at medicalschoolhq.net/group. Click join and we'll add you up to our private Facebook group. Share your successes and miseries with the rest of us. Listen to our podcast for free at iTunes: medicalschoolhq.net/itunes and leave us a review there! Any questions you want us to answer? Email Ryan at ryan@medicalschoolhq.net or Allison at allison@medicalschoolhq.net or leave us a note at medicalschoolhq.net/contact