Comments on: The Long Road Back http://www.mexicomedstudent.com/2007/05/619 Every journey has a pitstop. Welcome to mine. Sat, 24 Oct 2009 23:12:27 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: enrico http://www.mexicomedstudent.com/2007/05/619/comment-page-1#comment-46251 enrico Sun, 20 May 2007 19:29:18 +0000 http://www.mexicomedstudent.com/2007/05/619#comment-46251 <strong>nyomi:</strong>Thanks, good to hear from you! <strong>Celeste</strong>: It is very much like the military, indeed, both in terms of separation and having so little control over your career (school) path in the beginning. <strong>Monica</strong>: I'm not even close to suggesting I suddenly re-prioritize my life so that I finally get to see my daughter 2 years later, hell no. I think the doctor's suggestion was given in that black-and-white way because reality is always something in between. I strive for a balance first and foremost, and if I can't get the balance I want, I have to choose the path that, to me, provides the lesser of two evils. That path would never be sacrificing the well-being of my daughter in any way shape or form.  Props and good luck to you! nyomi:Thanks, good to hear from you!
Celeste: It is very much like the military, indeed, both in terms of separation and having so little control over your career (school) path in the beginning.
Monica: I’m not even close to suggesting I suddenly re-prioritize my life so that I finally get to see my daughter 2 years later, hell no. I think the doctor’s suggestion was given in that black-and-white way because reality is always something in between. I strive for a balance first and foremost, and if I can’t get the balance I want, I have to choose the path that, to me, provides the lesser of two evils. That path would never be sacrificing the well-being of my daughter in any way shape or form.  Props and good luck to you!

]]> By: Monica http://www.mexicomedstudent.com/2007/05/619/comment-page-1#comment-46062 Monica Fri, 18 May 2007 18:28:29 +0000 http://www.mexicomedstudent.com/2007/05/619#comment-46062 Just a note of caution on the whole "your daughter will still be there" thing: As a single mom of a three and a half year old, I'm on the other end of that assumption. And while it's true (barring catastrophic accident, of course) that our daughter will "still be here" whenever her father gets around to being a dad, her perspective on him will definitely NOT be what it would have been had he stayed consistently involved in her life. You're obviously trying hard to do right by your kid and not a "deadbeat dad" by any stretch of the imagination, and I'm very sympathetic to your situation and professional goals. (If you think being an older med student with a low undergraduate GPA is hard--try raising a kid by yourself on top of that! I'm not there yet, but hoping to be one day, after some post-bac work and hopefully mopping up my transcript a bit...) So I guess if you have any inclination at all to take advice from a complete stranger, I would simply offer that your academic life, and even your future career, should never never be a higher priority than your child, no matter what. I hope so much that you will find a way to do it all... Just a note of caution on the whole “your daughter will still be there” thing: As a single mom of a three and a half year old, I’m on the other end of that assumption. And while it’s true (barring catastrophic accident, of course) that our daughter will “still be here” whenever her father gets around to being a dad, her perspective on him will definitely NOT be what it would have been had he stayed consistently involved in her life. You’re obviously trying hard to do right by your kid and not a “deadbeat dad” by any stretch of the imagination, and I’m very sympathetic to your situation and professional goals. (If you think being an older med student with a low undergraduate GPA is hard–try raising a kid by yourself on top of that! I’m not there yet, but hoping to be one day, after some post-bac work and hopefully mopping up my transcript a bit…) So I guess if you have any inclination at all to take advice from a complete stranger, I would simply offer that your academic life, and even your future career, should never never be a higher priority than your child, no matter what. I hope so much that you will find a way to do it all…

]]> By: Celeste http://www.mexicomedstudent.com/2007/05/619/comment-page-1#comment-45844 Celeste Wed, 16 May 2007 16:52:38 +0000 http://www.mexicomedstudent.com/2007/05/619#comment-45844 I'm sorry. You may not have any kind of a natural gift for compartmentalization, but maybe it's something you can learn well enough to get through. Do the best you can each day and try to do a little more the next. I feel like your situation is a lot like a military deployment. True, what is going on is not what you thought you were getting into. I think what gets military families through the times of separation and reconnection is being on the same page about the greater goal being worth it. I hope you all find your way, no matter what that turns out to be. I’m sorry.

You may not have any kind of a natural gift for compartmentalization, but maybe it’s something you can learn well enough to get through. Do the best you can each day and try to do a little more the next.

I feel like your situation is a lot like a military deployment. True, what is going on is not what you thought you were getting into. I think what gets military families through the times of separation and reconnection is being on the same page about the greater goal being worth it.

I hope you all find your way, no matter what that turns out to be.

]]> By: Nyomi http://www.mexicomedstudent.com/2007/05/619/comment-page-1#comment-45734 Nyomi Tue, 15 May 2007 20:37:05 +0000 http://www.mexicomedstudent.com/2007/05/619#comment-45734 Wow.I'm sorry to hear that things have been so difficult, and I hope everything turns out ok. It's been a while since we've been in touch but if you need an old friend to talk to (not that you have the time, I'm sure!), you know where to find me. Wow.I’m sorry to hear that things have been so difficult, and I hope everything turns out ok. It’s been a while since we’ve been in touch but if you need an old friend to talk to (not that you have the time, I’m sure!), you know where to find me.

]]>