Buckeye Princess - Look like we have a bit in common. I am originally from the big Buckeye state
Where in Ohio did you live? We are in Cleveland right now but I went to school in Columbus.
Well, I hope to be a med student/resident soon and next year I'm getting married. DF will be working full time, but I know it'll be a long road for both of us!
Congrats on getting married! When is the date?
I feel for you. My DH is a pediatrician. When we were married he worked on Wall St. After a lot of rocky jobs, he decided he wanted to go to medical school. First he had to go back to undergrad because he didn't have any of the prerequisites. Then 4 years of medical school and 3 years of residency. Our youngest DD was just born when he was accepted to medical school. It seems like a long road, but it definately pays off in the end. We now have a successful practice and are very happy. Hang in there!
My DH has recently decided to go into plastics. I'm already thinking about the business side of running a practice. I may pick your brain!!
My husband is in his last months of residency and we have 3 kids so I definitely know how miserable life can be! He was in his 2nd year of med school when our 1st was born, 2nd month of intern year when our 2nd was born (and he almost missed the birth cause he couldn't get out of his ICU rotation when I was in labor-at a different hospital-and literally made it 3 minutes before our son was out!), and the 3rd was just born in January. Life has definitely been crazy with his schedule, even this year and he's the chief resident and makes the call schedules!
I am counting down the days till June 30th when he 'graduates', which we are celebrating with one of the 12 night
DCL Baltic cruises. He takes his board on 8/3 and starts his 'real' job 8/4, our son's 4th birthday. I wish he could get another day as he's never been home for anyone's birthday, but such is life.
The big highlight for us is that in the midst of all this, we are moving cross-country and have to find a house and school before we get out there. But I keep reminding myself that the end is in sight!
I relate on so many levels! I'm pregnant with our 2nd who is due at the end of November. He'll be doing away rotations up until a few weeks before, so if I go early, I'm on my own. We are thinking of doing a DCL Alaskan cruise between med school and residency. I wanted to do a Baltic, but then thought about the plane ride with a 2yr old and a 5 month old and decided we'd go for the shorter flight.
I was married to my husband throughout his med school, residency, fellowship, and now in his practice. We moved for each stage too so I always started a new job/city with the knowledge that we were only going to be there for 3 years which always sort of pulled me back from really making friends. In med school the only married friends he had were female and I felt weird hanging out with the husbands. We didn't have kids until the end of his fellowship but it was very lonely and people didn't and still don't understand the schedule. My father to this day says "but they have to give him a religious holiday off if he asks." If only it were that simple. He's missed several very important events but that's our life and it doesn't seem strange to me and the payoff has been so worth it. He's so happy with his career.
Totally understand about making friends. I feel lonely here often because although there are some moms I talk to at mom and me swim classes, I don't have much motivation to really put down roots. My family also does not understand the schedule. My mom complains that we don't come visit when we have a free weekend. I try to explain that it may be the only weekend we have in two months and we just really need some family time.
It gets better. I think I was not the easiest person to live with during residency. The fatigue and the long hours don't bring out the best in you. I am a pediatrician, no fellowship here, my husband had enough of medical education after residency. When residency is finished, it is so nice to not have to live your life by the month anymore and then to seek out a job where to some degree you can have control over your own schedule. We went to Disney once during residency, but the vision of it kept me going during ICU rotations.
So scheduling doesn't get any better during residency? I don't mind the long hours of med school so much as not knowing what the schedule will be. Last weekend we thought he had the weekend off. Then on Friday the attending he was with told him, "oops there is a conference tomorrow I want you to attend." Then as he was leaving the conference, "oops I have a surgery tomorrow morning you should come to." At the end of that surgery, "I have another one at a different hospital this evening. Meet me there." ARGHHH!
I started with my husband as a MS3, went through intern year, residency, and fellowship. We're in our second year as him being an ER attending/assistant professor at the med school.
The short answer for us is, no, it doesn't get better. He still works all the time and he's still stressed all the time. However, making tons more money helps a bit. I can put the girls in care two days a week so I can get a break. Also, I'm hoping we won't have to move again.
How does your husband like teaching? My DH started in the MD/PhD program but decided after 1 PhD year to just get his MS and go back to the MD portion. I don't think the lab was for him and we also had our DD at that time and I think he liked the idea of getting done with everything before she hit high school. haha
Anyone have experience with away rotations? We were originally planning on 2, but after talking with his dean he's now thinking of 4. Two 4 week rotations and two 2 week rotations. THREE MONTHS while I'm very pregnant. Yikes. I'm scared. He's going into plastics and was told because it is so competitive that to get into a program he really needs to spend some time there. I'm planning on staying behind because I don't know if we can afford housing that would be adequate for him, me, and DD. Not sure what he'll do yet but I guess there are always couches of friends and friends of friends.
Anyone go along on an away rotation? How many did you/spouse do? Where did you/spouse stay? Did you get into your residency w/o doing a rotation there?
Sorry lots of questions. As you can see this is consuming my thoughts. Thanks for all of your help!
