Early on, the school encouraged me to include my wife, Marcella, in everything we did as part of orientation, so she knows almost everybody in the class and has made friendships of her own. She’s a big part of my support system. When we decided to have Dallia, our daughter, the school was cheering us on like family. I haven’t heard the slightest bit of grumbling. Almost everyone I’ve talked to thought it was just an outstanding idea. They actually liked the idea of us not letting medical school experience get in the way of living our lives.
Dallia was born in the middle of a section of courses involving the pulmonary system. I took a week off to help Marcella and to get to know my daughter a little. My classmates collected handouts, copied notes, and brought us lunch and dinner. I couldn’t imagine a more supportive environment. The faculty helped me refocus and get through without making me feel like some kind of misfit for taking time off to spend with my family.
Pittsburgh is a very family friendly place—full of parks and things for kids to do. We can walk to the zoo. We decided to buy a house, which is unusual for a medical student, but we like being rooted in a neighborhood and housing here is amazingly affordable.
