Guest marcia261 Posted February 19, 2007 Share Posted February 19, 2007 Hi everyone, I'm new to this forum, so I hope I'm posting in the correct place. I was wondering if there are any women PAs out there that were able to successfully start a family after graduating? Anyone want to share what their live has been like after PA school...paying back loans, working hours/environment, family life? I am recently married (~2yrs) & just got into a PA program and my husband wants to be supportive, but is having a hard time understanding that we can still start a family after I graduate if that's what we decide to do. Any feedback? Thanks :o) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nightrt Posted February 20, 2007 Share Posted February 20, 2007 Hi everyone, I'm new to this forum, so I hope I'm posting in the correct place. I was wondering if there are any women PAs out there that were able to successfully start a family after graduating? Anyone want to share what their live has been like after PA school...paying back loans, working hours/environment, family life? I am recently married (~2yrs) & just got into a PA program and my husband wants to be supportive, but is having a hard time understanding that we can still start a family after I graduate if that's what we decide to do. Any feedback? Thanks :o) It sounds like you two have plenty of time to discuss this, and you still have lots of other important decisions that will be more pressing in the near future relating to school. You can focus on a family once you have decided what type of practice you want to work in. Once there, you can inform yourself on what the pd. maternity leave is like, insurance etc. I found out I was pregnant 2 months before graduation, and my husband and I were kind of freaked out because we weren't sure if I could get covered by insurance if I got hired...wherever that would be. Luckily, to make a long story short, all turned out well. A family after PA school is very doable, and fun!;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pagirl1 Posted February 20, 2007 Share Posted February 20, 2007 The PA profession is great for working women!! You can work part or fulltime and find a job to meet any days, hours, etc that you desire! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tat1bmc Posted February 20, 2007 Share Posted February 20, 2007 How about any suggestions on going to PA school and continuing to make adequate time with your child? I will also be starting PA school in June and have a 2 year old. I know that going to school with a family is doable.....and I already have similar practice (I have been a full time college student getting my BS since he was born)....but is there any advice on how to handle it all? I am beginning to get a little sad that I will not be able to be the kind of mom I want to be after I start school. I really debated putting off PA school for a year or two, but decided that I really want to start the "rest of my life" right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest marcia261 Posted February 20, 2007 Share Posted February 20, 2007 well, I do happen to know someone in PA school that has 2 small children & she makes it home just about everyday after class to be able to get them off the school bus & she also says that she makes time for them up until 7pm & then it's her time to study. So I think if you are well organized you should do fine, but I guess for me it's easier said than done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pepper Posted February 20, 2007 Share Posted February 20, 2007 How about any suggestions on going to PA school and continuing to make adequate time with your child? I will also be starting PA school in June and have a 2 year old. I know that going to school with a family is doable.....and I already have similar practice (I have been a full time college student getting my BS since he was born)....but is there any advice on how to handle it all? I am beginning to get a little sad that I will not be able to be the kind of mom I want to be after I start school. I really debated putting off PA school for a year or two, but decided that I really want to start the "rest of my life" right now. Time Management is the key. It may help to take a class or get some info on how to manage your time well. It is tough with kids but the hardest thing is sticking to a schedule. If class gets out early I stay until 5:00 anyways and study. When I pick up the kids I make a family affair out of dinner. Everyone helped. My kids are 4 and 6. I also in the summer made it a practice to go and swim for 60 min everyday with the kids. I got in the pool (not laid out) and played all the silly games I could (great stress relief too) In the winter we play board games or video games together. After dinner we prepare for bed and the next day. At 8:00 I put them to bed and study as long as I need too or when I can't keep my eyes open any longer (which ever comes first;) ). I admit weekends are harder to get study time done. I really make it my goal to study as much as I can throughout the week and try to donate all my weekend time to the kids. I study at 8:00 at night and during Saturday morning cartoons when they wake me up. This helps too. I also have a very supportive husband. That makes a huge difference! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenniis Posted February 21, 2007 Share Posted February 21, 2007 My plan was to start our family after PA school (husband began med school at the same time). I had my first child a little over a year after graduation, my second during my 3rd year and am pregnant (this one totally a surprise) with my third whom I will have during my 5th year. I made the transition from full-time to part time about a year after my first son was born. So, I work 3 days a week in a family practice and ABSOLUTELY love it. My days are from 8am-5pm (and those really are the hours that I work). This is the perfect fit for me. I can hang with my kids a few days a week, but still really enjoy my days working in family practice. It is definitely manageable. I did take out student loans and we are working to pay them back. One nice thing is that even working part-time, you can still make pretty good money as a PA. It's such a rewarding profession. I wish you the best of luck in school. It is SO worth it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest marcia261 Posted February 21, 2007 Share Posted February 21, 2007 Jenniss, Thanks for the post...what is the maternity leave policy that you have encountered in your family practice? My biggest concern is finances. I know I'll have lots of loans to pay back & if maternity leave is without pay, I'm just not sure how I would be able to do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smrtmom1 Posted February 21, 2007 Share Posted February 21, 2007 I am a student now, and a single mom. I became a single mom during undergrad. It has been tough, but doable. I have famliy that are with him until I get home every day. But he is with me on Sunday (all day at the lib., we spend all day Sat, together (no school stuff), and I study from 8-10 or 11 at night. It is tuff, and I am stressed all the time. But I am doing it. I had to learn to give up on the top grades, but I make sure I learn what I need to to be a good provider. Time management is key. One of my classmates had her baby 1 month before classes started first year. One of the med students here had her baby over christmas her 2nd year. We have had weddings, one other single mom of 2, and several others with families that get through all the time. You have to want it bad enough, and be willing to let your husband be mad. It will happen, so be ready to let it go. Good luck whatever you decide to do, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tat1bmc Posted February 21, 2007 Share Posted February 21, 2007 Thanks everyone for all of the encouraging words....I know that I want it bad enough and luckily have a husband who has "shared" me with school since we had our son. He might not completely understand what he is in store for, but he has been a 100% hands on father since our baby was born. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenniis Posted February 22, 2007 Share Posted February 22, 2007 what is the maternity leave policy that you have encountered in your family practice? My biggest concern is finances. I know I'll have lots of loans to pay back & if maternity leave is without pay, I'm just not sure how I would be able to do it. I think I was allowed to take 3 months off work, but it wasn't covered financially. I was able to save my leave and take about 1 1/2 months off for my first child (about 3/4 of which was paid). My second child was a little harder. I was put on bedrest for a month before I had him. That pretty much took care of all my paid leave. I took a month off after he was born and went back part-time. For me, going back after a month wasn't too bad--especially since I went back part-time. I don't anticipate any problems with leave for this pregnancy (as far as administration giving me a hard time), but I doubt I'll have enough leave to cover it financially. We'll manage it though with planning ahead. Just to add more detail, each pregnancy was with a different employer. I left my first job to go part-time. Then the doc that I'm now with sold his practice to a big hospital group. So, I have worked for a 2-physician family practice, single physician family practice, and a large group family practice and haven't had any difficulty getting the time off that I need in any of the practices. Don't stress too much--it'll work out no matter what happens! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lovinlife Posted February 24, 2007 Share Posted February 24, 2007 Are you wondering whether it will be better to start a family after graduation as opposed to before? As one who has two young children (barely 2 and 4), let me suggest BEFORE! I really, really wish I had considered PA school before I had children...as I'm sure you can imagine, once you have children, you have to take them into consideration too. Even if you have hours and hours of reading and studying--they need you as much as you need to study--at least my little ones do!) ;-) Go to school now, have kids later. Do what you have to do now to get yourself ready for them. Just my advice. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azgal Posted February 24, 2007 Share Posted February 24, 2007 How about any suggestions on going to PA school and continuing to make adequate time with your child? I will also be starting PA school in June and have a 2 year old. I know that going to school with a family is doable.....and I already have similar practice (I have been a full time college student getting my BS since he was born)....but is there any advice on how to handle it all? I am beginning to get a little sad that I will not be able to be the kind of mom I want to be after I start school. I really debated putting off PA school for a year or two, but decided that I really want to start the "rest of my life" right now. Oh, do I know the feeling of "feeling" like I'm an inadequate mom. I am a single mom to a 4 yr old boy and in my first year of PA school. It is definately doable (is that a word??) :), anyhow, my biggest sacrifice is my own personal time and time with friends. I have been out with my classmates twice since the program started, and as hard as it sometimes is, missing out on the social fun, it is worth the sacrifice b/c it is time with my son. I have learned many tricks to make our time together more quality time. For example, b/c he is a bit older he likes to help make dinner, we spend about a half hour driving home so I make sure to talk about his day at preschool and not tune into the radio so much. The absolute biggest thing you'll have to learn to accept is that your child is more important than receiving an A on your pharm midterm. By no means am I saying "slack off", but you have to be resonable with your expectations, otherwise you'll most likely be continually dissapointed and resent that you don't have enough time to get the grade. At this stage of the game, the grade isn't important. Obviously you need to pass, but I think you know what I mean. I'm doing well in my program, I just am a little more tired than my classmates, b/c I can't go home and start studying right away. After I put my little guy to bed, which is eight o'clock, I start my studying and usually put in about 3 +/- and hour a night. If anything, your child is a stress reliever after a long day of sitting in a classroom being poisoned by powerpoints :) and they help you to keep a good perspective as to what is important. If you have any other questions feel free to priv message me, I'd love to help if I can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest theonlypaz Posted February 27, 2007 Share Posted February 27, 2007 This is *exactly* the thread I was looking for. I am a 31yo mom of two (ages 5 and almost 2). After my interviews, I began to realize that the many of the people I interviewed with were much younger, and probably not parents. Which, of course, started my feet to get immediately cold! But it's nice to know that there are moms out there who have succeeded at balancing school and family. Does anyone have any advice on preparing your kids for this change? Thanks, Paz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azgal Posted February 27, 2007 Share Posted February 27, 2007 This is *exactly* the thread I was looking for. I am a 31yo mom of two (ages 5 and almost 2). After my interviews, I began to realize that the many of the people I interviewed with were much younger, and probably not parents. Which, of course, started my feet to get immediately cold! But it's nice to know that there are moms out there who have succeeded at balancing school and family. Does anyone have any advice on preparing your kids for this change? Thanks, Paz I'm so glad that you found a source of inspiration, we moms need that!! I'm sure that many will have wonderful and different advice for you, but here's some of the things that I do. My son is 4, so close to your oldest, and he has a little bit of an understanding. Typically during the week, I do not begin my study time until after he has gone to bed. Some nights he goes to sleep without a hitch, others...well you know I'm sure :) As far as the weekends go I always try and do something together first, maybe the zoo, his favorite park, bike ride, etc..but I preface the fun acitivity with an explination that when we get back home that mommy will need some time to study. Usually on the way home we swing by the neighborhood blockbuster and get a movie or two, to help keep him occupied while I try and get a few hours in. Also, with older kids, it is fun to include them in the rewards of your having a good week. In my program we typically have a midterm and final. But if I did really well on a quiz or even an exam, I share this accomplishment with him. I'll tell him that he helped mommy to do well on her test, so we celebrate together..sometimes a trip to the theater, ice-cream at McDonald's, whatever...they really get a kick out of thinking that they helped you, and share in the pride of your doing well. If you have worked in a medical setting prior to school, use that to your advantage in explaing to your 5 yr old what you'll be doing when your done. My son gets a huge kick out of the idea that I'll be helping sick people in the hospital...as he puts it. :) I also make a greater effort to include him in things like dinner preparation, helps me to feel like I have more time spent with him and again they gain a great deal of pride in helping. Overall it's just about figuring out how to make your little bit of time more quality time. Your two year old may be a little trickier. My son was two when I was finishing my last year as an undergrad. I was working full time nights and going to school full time during the day....I still have no idea how I managed to not kill either one of us, lol. But I do remember when he was that little he was content with sitting next to me and coloring or doodling when I needed to study during the day or early evening hours. There will be some days where it takes everything in you not to be tearful the entire day...it waxes and wanes..and it can be difficult when many classmates cannot understand your situation, but often time the professors have children and I have found them to be a wonderful outlet! Best wishes to you! If you ever need or want feel free to send me a private message. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest phonebookreader Posted March 1, 2007 Share Posted March 1, 2007 Hello, I am not a woman but I can tell you both my wife and I are PAs. We also have 3 small kids and work full time. You do what you must, and it is as simple as that. We have high paying positions with 37-40 hours a week and 200 hours of vacation a year. That really helps with time for the family and kids. We also run a second business. Its essential to have a strong foundation for the marriage and a to keep physically fit within that realm. If you have shaky foundation, this could be a dealbreaker. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest StillE Posted May 16, 2007 Share Posted May 16, 2007 I don't have any advice, but I am really glad that someone pointed me in the direction of this thread. I seem to have a similar situation with the kids and all, but a little twist...has anyone ever had an interview while they were pregnant? How did it turn out, I am afraid this may hinder my acceptance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest karinahal Posted May 25, 2007 Share Posted May 25, 2007 Hey Mommies, Great to read this post. I am smack dab in the middle of didactic year and can remember how terrified I was before school started about spending time with my kids (2 & 6) and a lot of the other concerns everyone has voiced. I can ditto most of the other PA student mommies. There are days when it feels sooo hard but there are more days when everything just gets done. I sat my 6 yo down when i started and explained a lot to him. I am very honest with him about my stress level when it is affecting my parenting and remind him often about dedication and fighting for what you want. Some days (even rarer than the tears) I think i have it easier than most of my classmates. I have a very limited time to study and it is focused, it has to be or i would not make it. I however never wish that I would have went to school before my kids came, I am a totally different person because of what I have to juggle and my priorities are so much different now than before they came. But that is just my thoughts for myself....because no doubt it is TOUGH! I must add that i LOVE being in PA school...and LOVE being a mommy!:p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prePAmom Posted May 25, 2007 Share Posted May 25, 2007 Hey Mommies, Great to read this post. I am smack dab in the middle of didactic year and can remember how terrified I was before school started about spending time with my kids (2 & 6) and a lot of the other concerns everyone has voiced. I can ditto most of the other PA student mommies. There are days when it feels sooo hard but there are more days when everything just gets done. I sat my 6 yo down when i started and explained a lot to him. I am very honest with him about my stress level when it is affecting my parenting and remind him often about dedication and fighting for what you want. Some days (even rarer than the tears) I think i have it easier than most of my classmates. I have a very limited time to study and it is focused, it has to be or i would not make it. I however never wish that I would have went to school before my kids came, I am a totally different person because of what I have to juggle and my priorities are so much different now than before they came. But that is just my thoughts for myself....because no doubt it is TOUGH! I must add that i LOVE being in PA school...and LOVE being a mommy!:p This post is really encouraging as my kids are 3 and 6 and I'll be applying next year to start in 2009. I have to admit the part that scares me is that you posted at 3:00am! :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sujrubio Posted May 26, 2007 Share Posted May 26, 2007 I made sure I got home from school every day when they were getting home from school. I would spend the next 2-3 hours with them...snack, school work..dinner...bath...then I would study. I found the break allowed me to shift my focus away from school after being in class all day, gave me daily time with my kids and I felt more focused and refreshed when I would study after they went to bed. I have to add...I kept a tight schedule with my kids and they were in bed by 8-9 every day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest karinahal Posted May 26, 2007 Share Posted May 26, 2007 :D It wasn't 3 am on the west coast when i posted...but i had many nights like that last semester. This one has just started so haven't geared up all the way yet. Also i am guessing that the majority of personality types that are in PA school are WAY more organized than me, i don't run a tight ship with my kids, as far as getting them to sleep and dinner early, etc. And i say that to say that if i can do it, then i am sure u will be more than ok. mu husband commented today that i seem way less stressed when he's talking to me on the phone and i am at school vs at home trying to get things together. this is one of the reasons i did the majority of my studying at school, in between classes on days we did not have class and kids were in school/daycare. i remember a single mother telling me that that was her strategy throughout school, and she made it a point that once she got home she would be there for her kid and go to sleep early with him. Another classmate of mine would wake up an hour or two early and study before she had to go to school, to maximize her time with her granddaughter. I am not a morning person, but just some ideas.....it is doable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest wanttobeapa Posted May 26, 2007 Share Posted May 26, 2007 Can anybody tell me if its possibile to attend the PA program and work at the same time and raise a 10year old? I'm a single parent looking into the program would like some help with this one. Which is harder the classroom work or the clinicals or both? Thanks for the information. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azgal Posted May 27, 2007 Share Posted May 27, 2007 Can anybody tell me if its possibile to attend the PA program and work at the same time and raise a 10year old? I'm a single parent looking into the program would like some help with this one. Which is harder the classroom work or the clinicals or both? Thanks for the information. I too am a single mom, to a recently turned 5 yr old. I could not imagine working, being a PA student and raising my son! I was tempted to stay on part time at the ER I worked for, I am sooooo glad that I went on-call. I had this false sense of bravado that I would able to handle part time and PA school, since I had worked a full time graveyard shift while finishing my undergrad degree, and was a single mother then as well. Your child and your classes should be you only focus. I'm currently finishing my first year, so I cannot really speak to second year. At my school, we are in the classroom 7/8 to 5pm most days, then it's pick up my son, play, make dinner, clean up, bathtime, story time.....then study. There really is no time for work b/c the weekends are spent trying catch up in all areas; housework, chores, errands, playing with your child, visiting family who believe you to have dropped off the face of the earth, studying, studying, studying. It's a tough road most days, but worth the suffering. Adding additional stress like work, would not be wise. PA school is vastly different from undergrad, not that I thought it would be an easy road, but doing well in classes during undergrad came easy for me without a huge amount of effort...not so now!! Plus you almost have to relearn how to learn. There is so much information being blasted your way, you almost don't know where to start some days. I'm not sure if this is your worry, but my biggest worry, when I was pre-PA, was the money issue. That really is no issue at all. Our school had created what a first year budget would be, this was inclusive of everything (tuition, books, fees, rent, auto/health insurance, food, personal, etc...) and if you had any additional needs, such as in my case, childcare, you simply spoke with a supervisor in financial aid and a higher disbursement was approved. Between the stafford and the federal plus loan for graduates I have enough to get by. Sometimes I do pick up a shift or two, usually on my breaks, but it is mostly to apply the knowledge I've learned thus far. Finding a roommate is helpful too, in regards to money. My roomie is in the nursing program and has a child too, so it is a good fit. If you have any other questions/comments feel free to send me PM. I hope this helps you some:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sas85 Posted May 27, 2007 Share Posted May 27, 2007 Wanttobeapa, You should consider a part time program. My program's schedule enabled me to work a part time flexible schedule during didactic while raising my 4 and 6 year old. I still get very little sleep though, which is the worst part as far as I'm concerned. You will need SOLID reliable childcare available. Good luck, Stephanie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest wanttobeapa Posted May 28, 2007 Share Posted May 28, 2007 Stephanie, Thanks for the information. I'm in NYC I looked into part time programs and their aren't any in NYC. I was just concern about paying the bills. I don't know if I could get through the 2years without money. And I really don't want to get a loan and don't know if I could get a loan. Cheryl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.