<p>I am hoping someone could guide me in the right direction. I got accepted to med school that is 5 hours away from home. I am very close to my family and my mom was diagnosed with leukemia (CLL) about 7 years ago. She went through chemo about 4 years ago and was in remission until a few months ago. So she is most likely going to get chemotherapy in a month or two. I am supposed to start med school the beginning of August.
I have no idea what I should do. I already deferred admission last year because I thought she had to get chemo then but she didn't need it yet.
I don't want to regret anything. If I leave for med school and she ends up not doing well I will be 5 hrs away and I really don't know how I would be able to make up my coursework and I have a fear I would have to drop out. I just wanted some help with what I should do. I've been thinking about just going to grad school closer to home but I have no idea what I would like to pursue...maybe nursing? She is a very strong woman and I know they hate to see me leave but they want me to pursue mygoal. Any help is appreciated!</p>
<p>5 hours is NOT that far away. You are very sweet to be concerned about your Mom, but she probably would prefer you work towards your own future. I would suggest you be very concerned about your Mom and her treatment plan. But, I would guess that she’d rather you focus on your own future at this point in time.</p>
<p>I think that you should enroll in medical school and start your course work. I am a physician who received my MD from a US medical school and can tell you that while getting into medical school is very difficult, once you have been accepted and have started the program it is very important to them that you succeed in finishing your program with your MD and will make many accomodations to that end. If at some point during your four years at medical school you feel you need to take a leave of abscence to spend time at home with your mother it will almost certainly be granted and you will be welcomed back when you are ready to return to your studies.</p>
<p>After you graduate from medical school and match to a residency, it is my impression that they will usually grant you time away from your residency to deal with personal and family health issues.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, once you finish medical school and residency and begin working as a practicing physician it will be very difficult to take extended periods of time away from your practice.</p>
<p>As a parent who has a D leaving 3,000 miles to attend med school soon, I can only say that you should listen to your Mother. IF she wants you to go then give her the power to guide you once more. While we have no immediate health issues it was a major part of D’s concerns while deciding whether to stay nearby or leave. Her father has some health situations that we are watching. We pushed her out as that is what is best for her. We will miss her her but cannot imagine asking her to put her life on hold. Love cell phones and you can drive 5 hours when needed. Best wishes for a stress free (as much as possible) medical school life.</p>
<p>In your mom’s position I would want you to go to med school. Be sure you have them set up with skype so you can be kept as up-to-date on her condition as you need. Also check into all the options on getting home quickly so you are prepared if you should need to catch the next flight home. </p>
<p>You may have to learn to compartmentalize to keep her condition and progress from being a distraction for you at school, but I’ve noticed a lot of doctors seem to learn that strategy anyway in order to stay focused in the trauma of treating difficult cases or working the emergency room.</p>