Is it easier to have kids during medical school or during residency?

By my calculation, if you have kids in med school you will likely still have them in residency

In terms of purely time, medical school is definitely more flexible, especially during the preclinical years. Residency you will have maternity/paternity leave but it is obviously more limited and restricted by the constraints of scheduling (and also acgme requirements). Some specialties may be slightly better but you won’t get several months off. I think average 4-6 weeks? Also day to day of residency is longer days with more stress.

Downsides of having kids in medical school I would say is mostly financial.

There is no good time. Medical school you have the most time but you’re broke and have the pressure of studying/performing and uncertainty of the match and where it’ll take your family. Residency you’re working like a dog but have more stability, it’s nice to just come home and focus on my family and not worry about studying for a shelf but I def miss them while I’m at work. Someone said attending is the best time, I guesss money wise for sure, time wise depends on your specialty, but putting off having your kids if they’re something you know you want is a slippery slope. I’ve met attendings who said they waited too long and couldn’t have more than 1 because of fertility issues. The real answer depends on you and your partner but there’s no good time. For reference I had mine during M3.

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Best time to have them is as an attending. Worst probably residency.

I (f) had two kids going into medical school and one 4th year. Would recommend 4th year post step 2!

It’s never a good time. But having kids definitely makes studying for exams a lot trickier. Depending on your age is it feasible to wait till all your exams are done and dusted? I’ve had friends have kids through all stages of study and training. It’s hard no matter when.

My kids keep me grounded in residency and I couldn't imagine not having them to come home to. Only think that kept me sane intern year. It's tough when you don't see them a few days in a row during residency. It was nice being in the swing of things with them by the time I started residency, but they obviously change a lot as they grow so you're always kind of adjusting just when you think you got the hang of it.

It depends on your field. Personally, for me, residency is better. I'm in anesthesia, my residency cohort size is 28. So far, i think 5 of us have had kids during residency. Bigger program allows for more flexibility. Luckily. My husband is ENT who's in a class of 5 and they cover 5 hospitals. He'll be lucky if he can get 2 days off for delivery. I'll basically act like a single mom for a while and will need a nanny.

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This also depends if you are a woman or a man and if your spouse/partner is in a flexible field or not. If you are a man, and your partner is a woman who has flexible job, it wouldn't matter too much.

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I'm at 34 wks, and considering going on disability leave before the birth. My pregnancy has given my arthralgia and carpal tunnel. It's hard for me to even spike fluid bags and pull out medication, don't even get me started with intubation or pushing the bed.

Medical school worked well for me. Had him mid 4th year, had tons of time off (used my 6 weeks of flex time plus scheduled fluff rotations), then graduated in early May and had nothing to do until July. Granted breastfeeding intern year sucked, but I had a very supportive program with at least 3 other nursing residents. During med school we were broke (my husband worked fast food before becoming a stay at home parent) so we qualified for Medicaid so the entire pregnancy was free. Planning to have my second when I'm an attending. Only downside was he was a over a month early so completely threw off my residency interview schedule.

Residency is easier. It is a job and they are required to give you leave regardless of how inconvenient it is to others in the team. I had a child in my 4th year of medical school and got 4 days off. I had one 3rd year residency and got 4 weeks off. Find a program supportive of families and it will be fine. I loved having children when I did. I can't imagine going through all this without the support of my family.

I imagine this will wildly depend on your residency choice as well as other factors including age.

If you want kids, best time to have them is now - sooner is better than later. That first part is important though - do you want to have kids (no turning back IMO).

Had 1 kid during 3rd year medical school, 2nd during residency, 3rd and 4th after residency

Decision is different if you’re a male or female - unfortunate, but true

med school

Started med school with 1, had second kid beginning of 2nd year. Having kids during preclinical years worked really well for me. I couldn’t imagine being pregnant during residency.

Had my first as a 3rd year med student and currently pregnant with my second during 4th year. Glad I had them during med school. It’s hard to study and all, but other than that, you’re home way more than in residency.

whatever time and place gives you most access to extended family to chip in

this is the way

For women, there is less professional “lost” time if you have baby or babies in medschool where you are allowed to take breaks, extend. Fourth year where there is little to do is a good time to allow your body to recover.

You will get that time in residency but there is a whole year of scheduling that might be undone. No specialty is safe since resident are responsible for everything from scut work, to patient care, to policing other residents.

For men and women, it’s hard to be a parent, I had children in medical school and wish I had children earlier somehow, but it’s very hard. Right now I am not doing required monthly modules because I simply do not wish to spend time at home on work

Med school. A spouse that brings in the bacon also very important