Interview Season Residency 4th Year With Baby 1 Year Old

Being a medical pupil is tough, applying for a competitive residency spot is tough, and being a new mother is also very tough. I am i of the lucky women to practise all iii at the same time. I had my kid early Baronial of my fourth yr of medical schoolhouse. The fourth year of medical schoolhouse is a groovy time to get a new mother. The schedule is more flexible, there are fewer exams, and in that location's usually some congenital in time off for interviews that you tin utilise as time with your footling one as well.

I want this article to provide some practical tips for new mothers in medicine and especially during the time of flux that is residency interview season. I also hope that this inspires those that want kids but are waiting for the "perfect time" to swoop right into parenthood anytime.

Here'southward a bit of my story for some reference. I knew I wanted to take kids when I met my husband. Before that, I was far as well selfish. We honestly debated having a kid earlier medical school even started. We had already been married a few years, and information technology seemed like a good time since I could take a few months off. However, we decided to concord off a bit longer. Then but afterward taking USMLE Footstep 1, nosotros brought upward the conversation again. It seemed like a expert time. If I had a child at the end of third-twelvemonth, my husband could take off time and come up with me during my away sub-internship rotations.

And so we began trying. And just like that — the showtime month, I had a positive pregnancy examination. It was an unbelievably happy time. And then as quick as it happened, information technology was over. I began bleeding and had a spontaneous ballgame (miscarriage) early in the commencement trimester. I had never felt sadness like this before. It felt as if I was the failure. My body could not do what was necessary for a pregnancy. However, we were on a time crunch because I felt I could not accept my due engagement anytime well-nigh interview season (October-January of fourth year). I became obsessed with my ovulation timing, and we went months without results. It was finally the concluding month we had agreed to continue trying, and I was worn down. I even caved and had a glass of wine.

Then to my surprise, it happened again!

Positive pregnancy test! This was December of the third year of medical school. Of course, I was once again elated, but I was wary of letting myself be too excited until we were in a viable timeframe. For the sake of keeping the story on the shorter side … the rest of the pregnancy was relatively uneventful. I was induced at 39 weeks because my creatinine had bumped.

Delivery was uneventful, and I had a beautiful baby boy during August of my fourth year. Then eight hours later delivery, my labs came back and revealed HELLP syndrome. This just basically kept united states of america in the hospital an extra solar day and made me experience terrible, only I had a happy, salubrious full-term boy, then I was delighted.

Tip #ane: Be open almost your fertility or pregnancy struggles because, most likely, many people you know are going through or take gone through the aforementioned thing. I got some much support when I finally opened upwardly about my miscarriage.

I had worked my schedule so that I completed my dwelling house plan sub-internship right before my son was born (I actually had to miss ane or two shifts). Then I had one month completely off. I did not do whatever away rotations since I was quite pregnant. This was a chip unusual for emergency medicine, merely information technology all worked out. After the one month completely off, I had a case writing elective that I could exercise from dwelling house. So I did a tutoring elective, which had flexible hours. And then I had ii months off for interviews and finally a month of facilitating problem-based learning for the underclassmen. My husband's schedule also was geared towards when I would accept off as well. He initially only took two weeks off for my sons nativity so went back to work until February and March when I went back to full clinical rotations.

Tip #two: Stagger your leave time with your spouse if possible.

See the nautical chart for our schedules:

Less than i month later on to my son'southward birth, our residency applications were due. I did most of the work beforehand, simply that nevertheless left me with editing and getting my letter writers and other supporting documents squared away with a newborn. I fifty-fifty took my composite movie merely one week subsequently delivery. It was not my best photo, but at least my giant belly was gone.

Tip #3: Sleep when the baby sleeps. Exist productive when he/she is awake. At to the lowest degree during that get-go calendar month.

My strategy for scheduling interviews with an infant was to take him with me. Then my husband concluded up working mostly weekends (he's a paramedic) and and so traveling with me to virtually of the interviews. There were a few interview days that nosotros had to elicit help from others, and I did get to a few by myself. My mom went to Wisconsin with me. My dad went to St. Louis with me, and my mother in law watched our son while I interviewed at my dwelling house plan.

Tip #4: Call for help! Employ the resources you have! I guarantee many family members will exist fighting over a solar day with your bundle of joy all to themselves (they may non ever do information technology once more after contesting fussiness all solar day, only oh well).

Pumping on the go is quite an experience. I am non here to tell y'all how long to breastfeed your child or even that you accept to breastfeed. I did, and here's what I learned from doing so while traveling for interviews:
I had gotten some communication that I should not permit a residency programme know that I was a mother. Equally if somehow that would be a ruby flag on my application (it all the same makes me mad when I call up about information technology). Instead, I put it on the application that parenting was a new hobby of mine, and 1 of my letter of the alphabet of recommendation writers mentioned it too. I still got all the interview invites I wanted. So then when information technology came to pumping on the interview trail, I felt comfy asking for time and space during the twenty-four hour period to pump. I would transport out an email (see below for my exact diction) near two weeks before the interview and explain my needs. I came fully prepared without the need for a refrigerator (I had a great libation) or even a plug (I had battery powered pump options). These requests would non be unreasonable. Usually, the accommodations were a faculty member's function that wasn't existence used that day. Some programs had official nursing rooms too, which was nice. Either manner, it was viable during the interview day for me to pump twice. I was also very fortunate to be a quick pumper as my son was a speed feeder.

Tip #five: Be open about motherhood while applying to residency and jobs. If a place doesn't want me because of my family unit, then it probably isn't the best fit.

Tip #half-dozen: Pump if you need to pump! Whether that's piece of work ( I all the same pumped during ½ of intern twelvemonth too) or an interview day — just accept the time to do it.

My pumping email:

Thank you for sending out the itinerary for _____ interview. I am emailing because I am a nursing mother and would like to pump twice during the twenty-four hour period. It usually takes me 15 minutes start to end each time. Is at that place possibly a time and place during the interview twenty-four hour period that I could pump? I wait forward to meeting yous on ____!

Then at that place was the challenge of travel. If I were driving, I would pull over every three hours and pump using my battery powered plug. Again, the expert-quality cooler came in handy here to store the milk and the pump pieces. For flying, you lot can travel with more than four ounces of liquid if it's chest milk (despite TSA rules for carry-on liquids). They do have to run a fancy test on each bottle over 4 ounces, but it's quick. Many airports accept pumping rooms or even a family unit bathroom you can find a plugin if demand be. I even had a quick layover, so I had to pump during i of my flights. I just used my nursing shawl and warned the poor passenger next to me. He was totally understanding since he and his married woman had v kids!

Tip #7: Just wash pump parts one time per day if you tin can continue them refrigerated. I would put mine either in the fridge or in the libation with the fresh milk. Then I would wash them once I got to the hotel, habitation, apartment, etc.

Tip #8: The gear yous demand for pumping on the become: the pump, a high quality cooler that will go along cold for 12-24 hours, water ice packs, battery operated pump plug (I had a Spectra pump but the Medela battery plug worked for it), newspaper towels, nursing shawl, Ziplock bags for pump parts, hand pump for back up, spare batteries, milk storage bags or bottles.

All in all, I had a great feel traveling and bonding with my son while applying to residency. He and my hubby came with me nearly of the time, so I think I actually got to encounter him more. Don't get me wrong, we were all exhausted! No one slept much in the hotel or rental — or even at home for that matter, only we were together, and that's what mattered to me.

As far as starting residency, my son was near one twelvemonth old by then and still relatively portable. We tried to bring him to whatever social event so that my fellow residents could get to know him too. When we moved, my married man decided to stay home with him, and then we don't have to worry almost childcare (I am super spoiled). And again, I was not shy near pumping when I needed to.

As a woman in medicine, no matter when you decide to have a child, there volition be hundreds of reasons to look simply a picayune bit longer. Just do what you lot call up is best for you and your spouse. No time is perfect, but it will all work out.

Molly Johnson is an emergency medicine resident.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

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Source: https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2019/06/8-tips-for-having-a-baby-while-applying-for-residency.html

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