chiqui
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This thread has actually been going on for a while. There are quite a few of us going through this whole process while pregnant, nursing or raising one or more kids. Studying under these conditions has its own set of problems and a few tricks to help get you through. Welcome.
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In the practice of tolerance, one's enemy is the best teacher.
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| chiqui
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I'll start with my stats. I'm currently in medical school still - finishing up my internship. I'm an "older student" and decided to have kids while in med school. My first pregnancy became complicated and I ended up on bedrest. For my second pregnancy I knew I would have to do bedrest from the beginning, so I decided to take a year off and study for my steps. I took Step 1 right before (like a week and a half before) my son was born, Step 2 when he was 4 months old, and CS just before going back to school. I passed both steps and am waiting for my CS score. It was a rough year. My daughter will be 3 years old next month, and my son will be 7 months tomorrow. I'm in the process of applying for Match 2008 in Psychiatry. That's me.
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In the practice of tolerance, one's enemy is the best teacher.
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| dr.roh
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Congrats for getting things done  ...I am thinking about psych. also for match
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| Allymd
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Hi... I think a good way to start on this thread is to introduce ourselves.I´m an IMG graduated in 2004, finished a year for medical liscense in my country and then started with the steps. Took step 1 in october 2006 and started studying for ck. Found out I was pregnant in december so for many reasons had to take CS first, so took it on march. Then I had such a hard pregnancy and was working part time, so I couldnt advance much while studying so my lil girl was born in August and it´s a month old now. I´m going back to study right now for ck while taking care of my baby... God be with me Already applied for match 2008 IM, so HAVE to take it before interviews. Well thats me. I´d be glad to receive advises on how to study with a baby and thanks to chiqui who has been helping me a lot! Welcome!
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| chiqui
Forum Senior
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Welcome Dr.Roh. I think I've seen you on the Psych Match Board. You had a different name?
Welcome Allymd. See - this is how it goes. Its 5:30 am and the kids are still sleeping. I'm sterilizing bottles and pump tools, while connected to the pump, checking my email and having my coffee. After I check email I'll logg off, turn off the stove, switch the pump to the other side and read the article that is due for grand rounds at 7am. At 6:15 I'll leave, just to make sure I'm not late (which could cost me a sanction worth 12 extra hours at the hospital!) and finish reading the article in the parking lot. Between now and 6:15 I also have to pack 2 daycare bags and lunches, get dressed and do something about this hair.
While I sleep, I am choreographing my moves for the next day so that I lose the minimum amount of time possible. I always carry something to study, god-forbid I should experience delays beyond my control (like a long line at the bank). Every minute I save is invested in studying or playing with the kids. Every few days I just sort of go cross-eyed and drop dead asleep for an hour or so. Then I get up and keep on going. I think you get better at it every day.
One word of caution - don't fall into the trap of hearing other people's stories and then feel like you aren't doing as much as them. I think we've all felt that way at one point or another. Adjusting to life with baby is a big deal. You don't become a multi-tasking maniac until later on. And though the story may sound good on paper, my house is a mess, I'm exhausted, I feel guilty all of the time, and I break down and cry at least once a week. Gotta go. Have a nice day.
Edited by chiqui on 09/11/07 - 03:47 AM. Reason: forgot something
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In the practice of tolerance, one's enemy is the best teacher.
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| salo
Forum Junior
Topics: 10
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hi,im anIMG 2002 grad. idid 1yr housjob after grad, moved to canada after marriage,decided to take steps...took step1 in oct06,blessed with a baby girl in feb07...she is 7month now!!taking step2CK next week and man its been TOUGH!! studying wth her and all..will take CS in nov..(.wanted an earlier date didnt get one ) i guess this is it so far...do pray for me!!!!
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| dr.roh
Forum Guru
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Thanx chiqui..
My other name on the forum was dr.Dove...but I forgot the password...and couldnt retrieve it when I sent my email....hence I am dr. Roh now .
I haven't been on the Psych. match board. But I am interested in Psych or IM. My dad is a psychiatrist so I have had some exposure with him at his hospital since College.
I am not married BUT I am so inspired, by this post...in how much people are getting done with family & studying for USMLE's...good luck to everyone ! 
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| chiqui
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Dr. Roh - my mother, sister and two brothers are all psychiatrists, so I understand the interest.
Welcome Salo. My little boy is 7 months old today. I also have an almost 3 year old girl. I took Step 1 2 weeks before my son was born, Step 2 CK when he was 4 months, and CS when he was 6 months. So I can totally appreciate what you are going through. Poor child will probably learn to say "ACE Inhibitor" before "Ma ma". Just one more big push and I'm sure you will get through this week just fine.
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In the practice of tolerance, one's enemy is the best teacher.
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| molly
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hey there all the moms....i have kinda similar story...wa ssuppose to give my step 2 by december 2006 but got to know i am pregnant and then couldnt study cause of nausea....then when i started feeling better i had my 20th week ultrasound in which i got to know that my baby has a thickened nuchal fold....my doc was okay wi it since she said that there seems to be no signs of any thing else and it is probably an isolated finding bt that just dove me crazy....didnt know if i should go for amnio and then it was already 20th week couldnt think abotu terminatin the pregnancy only on just one isolated finding..so again i couldnt stdy and all my time was just wasted..and thn finally it was just too late....my baby just came in august and thanks to god she is perfectly healthy and now sep is my last month of triplet....i am nt sleeping enough..trying to keep up with my baby and studies...my house was never ever in mess and now u can see the whole days dirty dishes in the sink....its just so difficult to manage around..tough my husband helps 100% still its just getting to difficult to study.....i really dotn know what i should do...i dotn wanna fail my step 2..still trying to figure out what to do???any suggestion....:-)
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| hedieh
Forum Guru
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I am not in your position but I understand how much it is difficult for you mothers! You are doing a great great job !
Best wishes for you all!
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| paheli
It'sAllAboutGoodKarma
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wow, you all are an inspiration to folks like me, who don't have the challenges you are facing, and yet complain and crib more than you! keep it up, and you'll certainly reach your goal soon.
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Prepare as if you're the worst, Perform as if you're the best! As you dream, so you manifest. So, DREAM BIG!! When you face hardship, remember, God never gives you more than you can handle. Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadows.
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| chiqui
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Welcome Molly and Hedieh. Hedieh - everyone has his or her own complications, even witout kids! Molly - hang in there. From the moment you conceive, your personal agenda is subject to change at any time. Congratulations on your new baby. I didn't understand what you meant about "my last month of triplet". In any event, if your baby was just born in August, the only NORMAL state of affairs is for you to be exhausted, for your house to be upside-down and for your hygiene to have become questionable. You said your husband helps 100%, but if you told me that secretely, sometimes you want to hit him in the head with something heavy, I would tell you that is normal too. Sometime in the next few weeks things may begin to settle down and you can start to formulate a plan about studying again. Right now you are just trying to survive without dropping her, drowning her or cutting off one of her fingers while trimming her nails.
As far as studying is concerned: how much help can you count on for childcare? Do you have family around? Are you in the US or abroad? Are you breast feeding or bottle feeding? Financially can you afford to stay out of the workforce another year (and by afford I mean REALLY are you desperate or could you manage for a little while longer)? I ask because, if we have a little more info about your particular situation, we may collectively be able to give you some targeted suggestions about how to get started studying with a baby. In the meantime, enjoy your baby and get to know her well.
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In the practice of tolerance, one's enemy is the best teacher.
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| hgheith
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Topics: 39
Posts: 266
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Hello Everyone, This is a wonderfull thread! It lets us know we are not alone, thanks for starting this chiqui.
Well I'm soon to graduate img from the caribbean living here in the US. I have 4 children, Gave birth to my 3rd child only 1 wk after taking step 1 in 2005. Then I started clinical with 3 children and deliverd my 4th on March 8th. I have family around to help, or at least I make them help me, I put my 2 year old in daycare, and the other 2 in school (7 years and 3 years) My husband also helps me and so does my 7 year old son.
I am supposed to take my ck oct 31 but requested for reschedualing for the next term because I cannot study.
I really need help, My baby is now 6 months old, and between feeding, changing diapers, laundry for the whole 6 of us, and trying to get things at least tidy, I am too tired to study!!
Anyone please any suggestions on how I can make this work? I also have a demanding rotation starting monday from 9:30-6pm my last one, but it is long hours and comes in our Holy month of Ramadan where I will be fasting from sunrise to sunset.
Please pray for me and give me any advice you think will help, especially short cuts on what is the best format to study and what book is better for what subject. I wasted a whole week trying to understand fischer and his cardio q's and I just don't get it. So I have stopped studying all together.
Sorry it's soo long, but I feel this way we can learn from each other and help each other out.
Good luck to you all
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| hgheith
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Oh and I forgot to mention I am 15 weeks pregnant!
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| chiqui
Forum Senior
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Welcome hgheith. Boy - I don't really have any words of wisdom for you. You must already be a master at multi-tasking and abandoned aspirations of perfection a long time ago. And a 6 month old is tough, as he needs to be entertained a lot. All I can say is that, if you have figured out how to overcome every other obstacle you have faced until now, chances are you will overcome this too. As for the exam, if I had to take a true short cut, I would focus on the questions (UW and/or Kaplan). Perhaps ready through FA first, and then really focus on the questions and their answers. The problem with that is that its hard to do questions with the baby around. But if you can get someone to help watch the baby for chunks of time, questions are compatible with housework. I don't think that personally I had enough knowledge to skip the Kaplan books and tapes (which is what I used). I would ready and watch the tapes while the baby nursed and do questions while he slept. During the last month before the exam he went to day care, and I would take an hour in the middle of the day to go be with him, nurse him and give him my undivided attention, and then back to the books. When the kids came home in the evening I would put the books away and not study again until they were sleeping. I too spent a lot of time on the cardio questions, which was my weakest subject. It was my weakest on the exam too. But the psych questions were much easier to master, were worth just as many points, and I got a ton of them on my exam. Hopefully others on the forum will have more advice - is Arlete around? She has several children too, and may have a few more tricks up her sleave (plus she got higher scores than me).
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In the practice of tolerance, one's enemy is the best teacher.
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| arlete
Intern in 2009!!!!!
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Hi, chiqui... Did you think the title "Steps and Babies" would not catch my attention? 
It looks like our friend hgheith has a much more challenging situation than ours...
hgheith, I admire your dedication and perseverance, many would have given up a long long time ago! I think the only advice I have for you is to turn your resources into flashcards and take them everywhere you go, and then take advantage of any 15 minutes period you have to focus and study. Generally moms don't have the luxury of setting a period of a few consecutive hours to study (thanks God I was able to, because my oldest son went to school already, and the other two went to daycare twice a week). So little by little you build up and increase your knowledge. Mark anything you feel you are going to forget untill the test date, so during the last few weeks you go back only to those informations, then you count on your recent memory.
I'll be praying for all of you, I believe we can be good mothers and good doctors simultaneously, and if there's a will, there's a way.
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| arifar
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I graduated four years ago.Got married two and half years ago.I have twin kids 15 months old.I took step 1 in august,got my result 1 week ago.Passed with a low score.Now i will start preparing for step 2 CK.
Its hard with the kids and with no family around..........but my husband is very supportive........he is a physician too........so he understands how hard is to study medicine.
I dont know if I will get good score in step2 or if i will be able to get residency with low scores.but i m sure if u will work hard u will get what u want,may be after sometime.good luck to all of u.
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| dranagarcia
Forum Newbie
Topics: 3
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hello all of you ladies:
I took step 1 whem ny doaugter was 1 year old, CS when she was 6 mo and CK just in july, I have been working full time while raising her and taking the boards. I think the trick is to be consistent with the study hours, say you set up your schedule 7-9 am every day and sunday all day, that should work.
At least it did work for me although I should mention that my scores are nowhere near outstanding, but I passed first attepmt. Now I am using that same strategy for step 3.
I hope it works for you guys and know that even if you don't make it for this year WHEN THERE IS A WILL THERE IS A WAY. so dont worry!
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| chiqui
Forum Senior
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Welcome dranagarcia and arifar, and special welcome to Arlete. I miss going to the "Took it Today" thread! It had become part of my routine!
I agree with Arlete about "any 15 minutes" you can find. Before having kids I was very OCD about how I studied. Now, I have to do what I can, when I can. I had a notebook in which I jotted down a few things each day. Then in my mind I could try to recall the items in the list (for example, while in the shower or while falling asleep or first thing when I woke up, or while at the salon). As far as the scores are concerned - I say - congrats on passing. I think passing is a big deal, especially for an IMG and for the mother of a little baby. Not everyone on this board is a 99/99! I know I'm not. Obviously, you may have to settle for a program that is less competitive, but that may not be a terrible thing. Some of the less competitive specialties have an excellent quality of life, and the pay is more than enough to raise a family on. Like we say in Latin America, your daughter is the one who will be holding your hand when you are on your death bed, and I hardly think she will be asking you what score you got on your exams or why you didn't get into a better program. So if raising her to be a happy and kind person who has an ability to give and receive love means you had to sacrifice a few points on an exam - I applaud your choice.
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In the practice of tolerance, one's enemy is the best teacher.
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| hgheith
Forum Elite
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Chiqui I really appreciate your posts, they really help alot. Your advice is very valuable and I hope I can make the best of everything.
Arlete and dranagarcia, your advice is also very valuable, it's actually having the energy and clear mindframe to sit down and do it...... God Willing I will find it somehow.
I did well for 3 weeks and hit a block with this cardio, and i havne't studied in 2 weeks, I can't bring myself to even open a book! I said today will be the day I start again, and I have to finish before december.
Me and my husband made a plan, it might help: the 2 older kids go to school early till 2:30, my 2 year old we found a way to put in daycare full time 4 days a week, and the weekends my Husband will take over this ship. As for 6month baby I found that he loves to watch blues clues on tv, I know a bad babysitter, but he sleeps well and we have our feeding and play time together. so hopefully during the day I can atleast get 4-5 hours of good study time and more on the weekend. We agreed to enjoy the home being a disaster for a few months and as long as the kids have a few clean clothes for school then laundry is not a priority for now!
So please keep me in your prayers and I will remember you all in mine. I'll keep u all posted on progress.
Thanks again for your words of wisdom and advice, I get such motivation and great ideas from you all.
Thanks again!
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| chiqui
Forum Senior
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hgheith - sounds like a good plan. Cardio was very frustrating for me too - it was my worst subject on both Step 1 and Step 2. I found it very hard to keep the pharmacology straight. If it is keeping you from advancing, maybe move on to something else and come back to Cardio when your head is on straight.
As for me, I'm off to ERAS to submit my applications for Match 2008. I'm so nervous. My school has been terrible about getting me my LORs, so I've decided to apply without them, and forward them as soon as they are ready. I completed my applications last night but didn't have the guts to go ahead and finalize everything. There are two programs that are geographically close to where my parents live. Because I have two little kids, I want to move in with my folks while I'm a resident. If I can't get into those programs, everything will get a little more complicated. Wish me luck.
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In the practice of tolerance, one's enemy is the best teacher.
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| arlete
Intern in 2009!!!!!
Topics: 30
Posts: 2,208
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Good luck for you all, Moms.
Count on me for cardio questions, my biggest strength for obvious reasons...
You are in my prayers, I hope we will be celebrating our victories together, even if it takes a while!
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When men make the rules, God decides the exceptions.
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| hgheith
Forum Elite
Topics: 39
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Thank you Chiqui and Arlete, I appreciate your help and I will contact you once I get stuck again! Good luck Chiqui, may you get the program you desire, I will be praying for you ! And I agree arlete, may we celebrate together soon!!
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| Allymd
Forum Senior
Topics: 15
Posts: 118
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Hi girls... been MIA but I know you understand I´ve been studying while baby sleeps, very interrupted but well... After reading this thread I´m more inspired, I have already selected a date: October 25th, for my step 2 ck... please help me pray so I can get done by then. I´m getting to know my baby schedule more and more and she´s sleeping more at nights... the other night made a 9 pm to 6 am!! of course it was just one night, but i got rested. And thanks God I have my mothers help, otherwise I couldnt do it. I am finishing Psych and have left a last review of all kaplan books and after that UW. It took me one week to almost finish psych so I hope I can make it on time. I already applied for the match in couple with my husband, who got 97 in step 1 and 99 in step 2 so I really dont want to ruin his application so I kindda need a good grade. Please pray for me as I will be praying for all of you and wow... If I were a PD I wouldnt doubt to get any of you as a resident for all your hard work. GOOD LUCK!
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| chiqui
Forum Senior
Topics: 5
Posts: 173
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Hey Allymd - congrats on setting the date, and on making it through the first month of maternity. My babies didn't get really "alert" for long hours during the day until month 3, so you may get the exam over with before baby is really ready to play all day long. I took my exam when baby was 4 months old, and had to put him in daycare for the last few weeks so I could focus on questions. Until then, I did most of the questions in tutor mode, as I couldn't be sure I would get a full hour without interruptions. When he was in daycare, I would wake up early and play with him. Take him, come home and study like a maniac. At noon I would take 1 full hour and go hang out with him at the daycare, nurse him, change him and give him my undivided attention for 1 hour. Then back home to study like a maniac. I have a lot of guilt, though. Especially now that I'm back in school. I really wish I had a few more hours each day in which I could focus on the kids. Just 1 or 2 more hours would be OK. I really miss them sometimes.
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In the practice of tolerance, one's enemy is the best teacher.
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