INQUARTA

Graduate School Admissions Consulting

Mobile Menu
  • Menu
    • Menu
      • Login / Access
      • Course Catalog
      • Support
      • About
      • Medical School
        • Medical School Articles
          • [Video] Smart MCAT prep will boost your confidence and your score
          • 2 Things to do in Your MCAT Prep Classes to Improve Your Score
          • 4 Ways to Study for the MCAT
        • Medical School Courses
          • Premed Assessment – Find out your chances of acceptance to medical school.
          • The MCAT Club – Be ready for MCAT 2015! Tons of MCAT review and prep.
        • Featured Medical School Course
          • home-widget-assessment
      • Dental School
        • Dental School Articles
          • For Parents: Is Networking Important for Medical School Admissions?
          • How to End Your Personal Statement
          • Low DAT Score? These four tricks will help you get In
        • Dental School Courses
          • Dental School Assessment – Will you be accepted to dental school? Find out!
          • Dental School Blueprint – Everything you need to know to get into dental school.
        • Featured Dental School Course
          • dental-assessment-ad
      • MBA School
        • MBA School Articles
          • How Important is attending a top MBA school?
          • 3 Common MBA essay prompts: How to write winning MBA essays
          • Are MBA Program Rankings Important?
        • MBA School Courses
          • MBA Application Essays
          • Letters of Recommendation
        • Featured MBA School Course
          • mba-essays-ad
    • Close
  • Member Login
You are here: Home / Medical School Admissions / Premed Help: What to Do During A Family Medical Emergency

Premed Help: What to Do During A Family Medical Emergency

March 14, 2013 by Don Osborne Leave a Comment

My guest author is Dr. Ina Gilmore. Dr. Gilmore is a former Infectious Diseases and Internal Medicine physician who knows caregiving as a medical professional, and as a daughter providing care for her aging parents. She is founder of CaregivingWithPurpose.com. Her mission is to help caregivers more than survive – to thrive in caregiving. -DonO

caregiving for premeds what to do during an emergencyThe Call can come anytime. What Call?  The one to help a family member who is dealing with a sudden health crisis. The first time I got the call, I was in the middle of an intense biochem study session.

My Mother called. “I’m having a carotid study tomorrow … wanted you to know,” she said forebodingly. Her doctor was concerned she might be at risk for a massive stroke, and after reading the consent form listing serious potential complications — including death — my parents thought they should call me before the procedure, “just in case.”

Fortunately, I didn’t have to drop everything, fly or drive the 1,500 miles home in a borrowed car, to provide support and care. But many, many premeds do. What can you do to make dealing with major and minor crises of being caregivers to parents and grandparents easier?

Stay calm. Whether you are dealing with a family problem, running your first code or in the middle of your medical school interview, staying calm can help you think more clearly.  And just like getting upset, staying calm can be contagious.  It’s amazing how quickly a situation can also be defused by staying calm—even when you feel like your shoes are filled with Jell-O. (This is an important part of being a doctor.)

Stay positive.  There is a world of negativity in medicine.  Combating it can take many forms, including appropriate humor. A smile can help, as can focusing on positive things. Be upbeat and reassuring.

Absolutely without question communicate what’s going on to your professors, TAs, organizational leaders and anyone else with whom you have obligations. Emergencies often cannot be prevented.  Informing your teachers and others what is happening will go a long way toward getting you the help you need to rearrange quizzes, tests, and deadlines to accommodate you. I know it feels like this is your problem and that you shouldn’t be emailing the world that you have a suddenly-sick family member in distress, but it’s the only way. You absolutely must communicate your circumstance as soon as possible. It’s much harder for a professor to accommodate you after you have missed the mid-term or deadline, regardless of the reason.

Becoming a family caregiver can be a challenge, requiring juggling to balance your college goals and family.  It can also be one of the best things you ever do.

Balancing family and professional goals and responsibilities is a lifelong challenge for physicians. One of the first tasks is to figure out how much time and energy you have and can spend on caregiving without adversely affecting yourself, your path to your career, and your own health. For suggestions on how to do this, check out, “How To Balance the Costs and Responsibilities of Becoming Caregivers to Elderly Parents?”

Filed Under: Medical School Admissions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Copyright 2021 INQUARTA · Privacy Policy · About Us · Site Map · Affiliates · Support

FREE Assessment for Premeds

What Are Your Chances of Acceptance?

FREE Premed Assessment:

  • See how you rank on 8 key medical school admissions metrics
  • Discover your chances of acceptance
  • Find out how to maximize your odds of getting in
x