already know I am a bit, but want to know what the schoolyard mums are thinking...

[clemette]

I have made a career decision which is essentially a very selfish one. I am happy with it, DH is supportive, and my friends are positive, but I would like to know what other mums feel about it, so I can be prepared for whatever is said to my face (or behind my back) by those I might meet in the future (DD due to start full-time school in January)...

I have two children, DD is 4 and DS is 16 months. With DD I worked fulltime as a teacher and have since gone down to 4 days a week. I enjoy work, earn a good wage and my children are happy at nursery. I have decided, however, to give up work to go back to university full-time to do a medical degree. This is my childhood dream and it has taken a great deal of work to get onto the course. But it does mean I will be away from my children full-time durin the week (and in 2 years I won't get the school holidays off) without bringing any money into the house.

So - will I attract more negative judgements than I do already as a WOHM? Can such selfishness ever be justifiable to mums that I don't know well?

Hi Clemette, I'm based in London. What about you?

Studying in the first year was a bit of a shock, but the holidays on our course were longer than I got as a FT worker, so I had loads more holiday time with the kids than usual. And Wednesday afternoons are always free (for sports/picking up children from school!). Around exam time is tougher, but us parents on the course are around for eaach other and this makes a lot of difference. It might be worth your while seeing if there are other parents you can get in touch with early on, as they probably have some good coping tips.

Have to say I've been very impressed with how great my fellow non-parent students have been too - getting lecture notes for me if I've had to miss a day for an assembly etc, and the university staff are on the whole very helpful.

Congratulations on taking the plunge, and for going through all the hoops to get a place - they are in some ways harder than the actual course!! My kids are so proud of me, as I'm sure yours will be, and happy mum means happy kids

(oh yes, getting new pens, paper, folders, schoolbag = essential fun for the new student experience!!)

sanae it was always my dream but my science teacher at school taught us the wrong curriculum and I went the arts route instead. I have enjoyed teaching but it is time for a change, and if you are going to make a change it might as well be a big one!

anotherstudent I will be in Nottingham. My DD watched Surgery Live with me on Sky+ today (odd parenting decision possibly...) and declared that she also wants to be a doctor

Forgot to say anything about the medicine - whoops. Well I LOVE studying, it is the best decision I ever made and I'm the happiest I've ever been. You'll meet a load of interesting new friends, and working with patients is amazing/humbling. (And the exams just take a bit of getting used to!).

As a mature student and a parent we can have a different perspective to an 18yr old medical student, and life-lessons really make a difference in knowing how to listen to and interact with the patients. HTH

This is such a inspirational thread . Good luck clemette, study hard!

Sounds very exciting. What an opportunity.

ROFL at 'if the whole world was like you I would never get people making barbed comments like "where does DD get her lovely manners from, it can't be from you given you hardly see her..." '

Oh, the irony.

It's stationery people. Remember 'e' for envelope and you can't go wrong. Sorry. Very antisocial, I know, but 'tis my duty as an English teacher to be a pain in the arse and point out spelling and punctuation blips

Back to the OP:
Congratualtions Clemette! Hope you really enjoy the course. Folk will definitely want medical advice though. I usually phone my friend (a nurse) even before contacting HV/GP/NHS Direct and I tend to assume she has all the answers. Must really piss her off, I should think

Oh go for it. I always regretted not going into medicine. You obviously care, and your kids will respect you. Good luck!

Thanks Olifin. Have you got any tips for rembering practise and practise (my other mental block...)?

Hmm - I mean practice and practise

Go for it. Who cares what the schoolgate-mafia thinks? They will judge you while sitting in front of the telly eating cream cakes in their track suits. Judge back!

BOF Don't... I'm a bit worried.

Hee hee!

Practice, like advice, is a noun. (A practice, some advice)
Practise, like advise, is a verb. (To practise, to advise)

The reason practice/practise are tricky is because they sound the same. Advice and advise don't suffer this same difficulty. If in doubt with practice/practise, try substituting the word advice/advise (the sentence may not make sense but you should still find your answer).

e.g. I need to practice/practise....
I need to advice/advise.....

Tells you that the latter is the correct form. Does that make sense?

Apologies. Again.

I really do wish you the best for your course! Don't blame you for getting out of teaching

Don't apologise. I too am a pedant. Just occasionally inaccurate .

?? policywonk

I've been thinking about doing the same thing. Was also encouraged in the Arts direction at school. Have Arts degree and PhD. What hoops do you have to jump through, those of you have done/are doing this? Did you go back and redo a-levels? I know work experience is important too. If you have any advice, it'd be much appreciated!

Wow, I would so not judge you, I would just be slightly gealous.

I would loe to do a medical degree and regularly regret the fact that I thought I wasnot clever enough when I was applying to universities to ever be a doctor (I got all As at A-level but had no self-confidence)

I finished my history PhD last year and decided to go for graduate entry despite only having GCSE biology. I sat the GAMSAT exam last September (hard but do-able), had my interview in December and was accepted in March. The course is 4 years instead of the usual 5 and a number of places around the country do it.
They let me use my NCT teaching as my work experience, and the fact I teach PSHCE in schools, but I think next year they are planning on being more demanding.
They have just opened the booking for this year's GAMSAT if you take a look.

Wow, how amazing! Well done you!

Take it from me - whatever decision you make as a parent can be interpreted as a selfish one. Why on earth should you care what some mums might think?

Your kids will be proud of you. Go for it!

Thanks Clemette, that's really helpful. I also have a history PhD and no science a-levels. I've got a baby due in September and a 5 year old so had been thinking about trying to aim for entry in 2011 (doing the GAMSAT Sept 2010), which would give me some time to sort out some work experience (a GP friend has said she might be able to help me sort something out) and some science study before I applied. It means I'd be 36 though when I started (assuming I managed to get a place!) and I'm a bit apprehensive about that.

I am 35.
Go for it!

Do you know what? I think I will. Thanks Clemette

you got accepted for medicine at 35????

AMAZING

All respect to you !

Surely it's none of their business? For the next 2 years you will have the school hols off, make the most of them, for most mums this is a luxury. But after that, well working f/t does not mean that you love your kids any less.

Go for your dreams. That will inspire your kids. What will your kids learn if you tell them that you never chased your dreams because you had them? They will feel guilty, like they came in the way. But if you achieved your dreams anyway, that teaches them that anything is possible, that nothing should get in the way of your dreams. Your kids will respect you for going ahead with this; What more is there to say?

As already said, an inspirational thread. Has made me think I should take up a new challenge. Thanks Clemette.